Riverclan's Fire
by Warriors27
Summary: The fierceness of fire, the wisdom of sky, and the endless loyalty of water, the honesty of wind, the determination of light, and the courage of earth will either save or destroy the clans. This story takes place in Riverclan and is a sequel to A Hard Path.
1. Prologue and Clan lists

Riverclan

Leader: Carpstar: A light gray tom with green eyes

Deputy: Blazenose: A brown and white tom with a white blaze down the muzzle. Has brown eyes

Medicine cat: Runningbrook: a golden tabby tom with green eyes

Warriors:

Silverpelt: A silver she-cat with amber eyes Apprentice: Stripepaw

Moonlight: A black tom with white spots and pale green eyes

Leafmoon: tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes Apprentice: Troutpaw

Blackcloud: black and white tom with green eyes

Watersnake: A white tom with spots that look like diamonds and has green-blue eyes

Tigerfang: A light tabby tom with amber eyes

Eaglewing: A brown tabby tom with green eyes and a white muzzle

Sharkfang: A gray she-cat with amber eyes

Lilypad: A brown she-cat with dark brown face, legs, ears and tail. Has white paws and blue eyes

Apprentices:

Stripepaw: A golden brown tabby tom with a striped tail and pale amber eyes

Troutpaw: A silver-white tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Queens:

Silverwater: A silver and white she-cat with blue eyes

Kits:

Spottedkit: a light gray she-cat with white spots and amber eyes

Moonkit: dark gray tom with one white paw and amber eyes

Cloudkit: a silver tabby tom with blue eyes and a white muzzle.

Weedkit: a dark gray she-cat with green eyes; a darker gray than Moonkit.

Elders:

Watermoon: a dark gray she-cat with flecks of white on her muzzle and ears; has blue eyes

Silverreed: a silver tabby tom with a white-tipped tail and green eyes

Mosspelt: a black and white she-cat with blue eyes

* * *

Shadowclan

Leader: Froststar: A white she-cat with faint black spots and light blue eyes

Deputy: Moonstripe: A silver-ginger tom with black paws and stripes and a ginger tipped tail. His ears tapper off into a tuft of black fur. Has pale leaf-green eyes.

Medicine cats: Dapplepelt: A dappled brown and white tom with green eyes-Apprentice: Antpaw: A dark ginger she-cat with silver stripes and one silver eye and one green eye

Warriors:

Swallowtail: A sandy colored tom with brown eyes and black stripes-Apprentice: Goldenpaw

Flameclaw: A ginger and white tom with amber eyes.

Raccoonpelt: A silver tom with a silver and white striped tail and a black mask over his amber eyes

Whispersong: A calico she-cat with green eyes-Apprentice: Eaglepaw

Snakefang: A ginger she-cat with a long winding tail and silver eyes

Flowerclaw: a golden pelted she-cat with leaf-green eyes

Icewing: A white she-cat with a silver sheen and ice blue eyes. She has a faint black circle around her left eye. Apprentice: Spiderpaw

Grayshadow: a gray she-cat with a white chest and green eyes-Apprentice: Cloudpaw

Nightwing: a black she-cat with amber eyes-Apprentice: Flypaw

Shadeheart: a dark brown tom with one white right hind paw and green eyes.

Cheetahpelt: lithe, white tom with ginger spots and a long, winding tail. Has hazel eyes.

Apprentices:

Cloudpaw: a ginger she-cat with a white tail tip with green eyes

Goldenpaw: a golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Eaglepaw: a ginger tabby tom with light ginger stripes, a white paw and light amber eyes

Spiderpaw: a black tom with a silver hourglass on his back and silver eyes.

Flypaw: a ginger she-cat with a white striped tail and green eyes

Queens:

Kits:

Elders:

Watermist: Silver she-cat with black stripes that slowly merge together. Soft white paws and a white tail-tip. Dazzling amber eyes.

Fawnwing: A brown she-cat with a white speckled back. Has pale blue eyes.

Badgerflame: has a badger like coat with a short temper. Has amber eyes, tom

Sunrise: a tom whose pelt looks like the sunrise and has sparkling green eyes

Cloudeye: a black tom with amber eyes though he is blind in one eye

* * *

Thunderclan

Leader: Silverstar: A silver tom with green eyes and gray tabby stripes

Deputy: Starlingpelt: A blue-gray she-cat with a white tail tip and green eyes

Medicine cat: Darkleaf: A black she-cat with amber eyes

Warriors:

Shredclaw: A tom with a bobbed tail and a golden spotted pelt with amber eyes

Kestrelsong: A whitish-brownish she-cat with a dappled pelt and blue eyes

Breezewing: A golden-black tom with light green eyes and one white paw

Grayfang: A silvery black tom with amber eyes

Apprentices:

Horsepaw: a long legged brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Firepaw: a light gray she-cat with blue eyes

Queens:

Rattlepelt: A she-cat with snake-like stripes and a slim tail that puffs out at the tip and blue eyes

* * *

Windclan

Leader: Heartstar: a pure white she-cat with blue eyes

Deputy: Blacksky: A black she-cat with white paws and muzzle. Has amber eyes

Medicine cat: Flameherb: a ginger tom with amber eyes

Warriors:

Foxtail: a ginger tom with a black tipped tail and green eyes

Eagleheart: A mottled brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Waveclaw: a pale gray she-cat with black paws, black tipped tail and silver eyes

Dogfang: Gray tom with golden eyes

Cowpelt: A black and white she-cat with amber eyes

Apprentices:

Wormpaw: a pinkish gray she-cat with amber eyes

Finchpaw: A bracken tabby tom with green eyes

* * *

 **Prologue**

A golden tabby wondered the forest, poking his nose occasionally in the foliage to take a sniff. He reached the lake and let out a cry of delight. A clump of watermint was growing a couple of fox-lengths away from the shore. As he reached the herb, he stopped as it burst into flames before his eyes. He stared at the spot, shock clouding his green eyes, taking a step back. He felt his paws grow wet and he glanced down, seeing water cover his paws as it flooded the ground. When he looked back up, the fire was still burning brightly much to the tom's confusion. The tom let out a screech of shock and dug his claws into the wet, marshy ground as the earth began to shake underneath his paws. The wind blew harshly across his pelt and the sky turned the brightest blue, the tom had ever seen. The tom screwed up his eyes as the sun shone brightly on the ground, the light almost too intense to bear. A familiar voice whispered in his ear, calming the tom down considerably until he heard the she-cat's words.

 _The fierceness of fire, the wisdom of sky, the endless loyalty of water, the honesty of wind, the determination of light, and the courage of earth will either save or destroy the clans._

The tom closed his eyes as the light grew brighter and all of the sudden everything was gone. The golden tabby slowly opened his eyes to see the clump of watermint right in front of his nose, completely unharmed. He shook his head, confused, and started nipping off stems of watermint. As he collected the watermint, he allowed his thoughts to turn over the prophecy that Happysong had given him. What did mean? What will it entail? Who are the cats mentioned in the prophecy if they were cats at all? A cat yowled his name and he let out a growl. Won't he be able to get anything done today? He turned around to see the clan's newest apprentice. A golden brown tabby tom skidded to a halt in front of the medicine cat, his amber eyes wide.

"What is it Stripepaw?" He grumbled.

"Carpstar sent me to get you, Runningbrook!" Stripepaw panted. "Silverwater is kitting!"

"What? Already?" Runningbrook meowed his tail tip twitching. "It's too early!" He thought fast, his gaze fixed on the freshly gathered watermint. Then he looked at Stripepaw. "Take this watermint and follow me back to camp." He ordered, before dashing off through the territory, following the trail to the camp. He hoped that he would get there in time.

When he raced into the camp, he saw a light gray tom pacing the ground in front of a bramble bush. The tom stopped pacing to nod at Runningbrook, his green eyes bright with worry and tinged with relief. "Runningbrook! I am so glad you're here!"

"Don't worry Carpstar, I am sure Silverwater will be fine." Runningbrook meowed trying not to show his worry.

"She's early, isn't she?"

Runningbrook couldn't hide the truth any longer. "Yes, a quarter moon early."

"Starclan help her!" Carpstar meowed fervently.

"I will do all I can Carpstar." Runningbrook vowed heading into the nursery. Silverwater was laying on her side, her beautiful blue eyes glazed with exhaustion. Watermoon, a dark gray she-cat, was sitting beside her daughter, gently stroking her flank.

The elder glanced up at the Runningbrook her eyes bright with worry. "She'll be alright, won't she?"

"I don't know yet," Runningbrook meowed softly. He crouched down by Silverwater's side and placed a gentle paw on the queen's flank. It pained him to see the beautiful she-cat slowly starting to give up. He felt a kitten stuck and started pushing his paw down in time with the convulsions. Silverwater's jaws gaped in a wail as the kit was finally pushed out into the world. He nipped the sack and pushed the kit within Silverwater's reach.

"Lick him." Runningbrook instructed just as another kit took its breath into the world. It was a she-cat. A few moments later another tom and a she-cat.

"Thank you Runningbrook." Silverwater purred watching as her kits snuggled into her belly. Runningbrook saw another kit push out but it was stillborn once he nipped the sack.

"Uh Silverwater, there is one more but..." Runningbrook hesitated. Silverwater looked up and saw the stillborn silver she-cat with black rippling stripes. She flicked her tail warily for Runningbrook to bring the kitten closer to her.

"I would have named her Ripplekit." Silverwater breathed, her blue eyes holding a grief-stricken look. She gave the dead kit a loving lick. Runningbrook gave the grieving queen all the time she needed with her stillborn. Silverwater will let him know when to take Ripplekit away from her. "You can take her now and bury her." Runningbrook touched his muzzle to hers, sharing in the queen's grief before picking up the kit. Then he walked out of the nursery.

"Is that the only kit we had?" Carpstar asked when he saw the dead kit dangling from Runningbrook's jaws. Grief clouded the leader's gaze.

Runningbrook set down Ripplekit and shook his head. "No, you have two toms and two she-cats."

"Can I go in?"

"Yes, but don't stay for long." Runningbrook warned. "She is tired and won't be willing to name the kits for a day or two." Carpstar nodded and headed into the nursery.

"Can I bury the kit?" Stripepaw asked bouncing up and down. Runningbrook hadn't noticed the apprentice standing next to Carpstar as he spoke to his leader. Then again, the whole clan was gathered, their gazes full of relief and grief at the news.

"Did you bring the watermint back?" Runningbrook asked the apprentice, his thoughts flying back to the prophecy.

"Of _course_!" Stripepaw scoffed. "It's in your den."

"Thanks, Stripepaw and yes, you can bury Ripplekit." Runningbrook meowed quietly. He gazed at the dead kit mournfully. The clan had lost a potential warrior in Ripplekit. "May this kit find swift hunting and shelter as well as protection while she sleeps. May Starclan light her path." He stepped back and Stripepaw picked up the kit. Runningbrook watched as at the apprentice left the camp. A silver warrior followed Stripepaw out, her tail twitching. Runningbrook shook his head, amused. Silverpelt was a tough mentor and Stripepaw will learn a lot under the she-cat's guidance. As Runningbrook padded over to his den, he thought about the prophecy. He glanced up at the blue sky, wondering if Starclan was watching. _Starclan, please send me another sign. If there is danger coming to my clan, I don't want to spend time necessary for preparing the clan, trying to decipher this prophecy._


	2. Chapter 1: A bedtime story

A light gray and white she-kit chased a dark gray tom-kit around a clearing. They occasionally crashed into a few warriors but after a quick sorry or a glance from one of them, the warriors' anger quickly vanished. It also helped that they were the only kits in the clan right now along with their littermates.

"I bet you can't catch me!" the dark gray tom yowled. The gray and white spotted she-kit pushed her legs to move faster as she raced to catch up with her brother. He was a tail-length away now and the she-kit pounced. She landed squarely on her brother's dark gray pelt. Her brother's one white paw swatted the she-kit playfully in the face.

"Get off me!" The tom gasped out, his amber eyes glimmering with fear.

The she-kit hopped off, confusion flickering in her chest. "Why are you scared of me?"

The tom sat up and gave himself a few quick licks on the chest. "It's nothing." He meowed. "I just couldn't breathe with you squashing me like that!"

"Sorry, Moonkit! I didn't mean too!" The she-kit apologized giving her brother a lick.

"Hey Spottedkit!" A squeal made her ears prick up. She looked over her shoulder to see the only silver tabby in the litter now that Ripplekit was gone.

"Yes, Cloudkit?"

"Want to play clan?"

"Sure!" Spottedkit agreed. "You and Moonkit are Windclan while Weedkit and I are Riverclan!"

"No fair! You are always Riverclan!" Moonkit complained.

"How about you and Weedkit are Thunderclan." Cloudkit suggested, his fur bristling in anger though his voice was calm.

"Why am I stuck with Spottedkit?" A dark gray she-kit wailed.

"Because we are going to win, Weedkit!" Spottedkit meowed giving the runt a gentle nudge. Together they headed for the elders den while Moonkit and Cloudkit headed for the nursery.

"What's the plan?" Weedkit asked.

"We are going to sneak up on them and pin them to the ground!" Spottedkit crowed without much thought. It seemed quite obvious to her.

"No! We should sneak up on them and wait for them to come over here." Weedkit meowed her green gaze growing thoughtful. "Once they are over at the elders' den we will swoop in and take their camp!"

"What about _making_ the camp first?" Spottedkit pointed out, her amber eyes gazing over to where their brothers were moving rocks and bracken in a wide circle though it was smaller then it should be. That was due to the fact that they last time they played the game, they got into trouble for making a mess of the camp and using to many resources.

"You get the ferns while I get the rocks and moss." Weedkit meowed padding down to the water's edge. Spottedkit watched as her sister paused at stream's edge before bounding over to the medicine den. She wondered if Runningbrook was able to spare some ferns, since he didn't seem to use them much. As Spottedkit moved closer to the thorn-shaded den, she heard angry voices coming from inside. She froze, her ears pricked in curiosity. It sounded like Carpstar was in with Runningbrook. Where they talking about an omen or a dream?

"If you were faster Ripplekit wouldn't have died!" Carpstar hissed. Spottedkit stepped into the shadows and crouched there, her body trembling as she listened to her father spew hatred on the medicine cat. Her ears were pricked as she realized that they were talking about her dead sister. She had always wanted to learn more about her but Silverwater, Carpstar and the whole clan refused to talk about it. The only thing Spottedkit knew about her sister was that she had a silver tabby pelt much like their mother's and that she was the last one born.

"It wasn't my fault Carpstar." Runningbrook meowed calmly. "I got there just in time to deliver four healthy kits. Ripplekit came out about a minute later. She was stillborn the second I nipped open the sack."

"But you could've done _something_!" Carpstar meowed desperately.

"It was Starclan's choice to have her join them." Runningbrook's voice was soft and gentle now as he added. "Besides, you have four fine kits that won't be kits for much longer. When the quarter moon is upon us they will be six moons old. Use their last moon to get to know them better." Carpstar snorted and padded out, brushing Spottedkit's hiding spot. Her father's normally calm demeanor wasn't present. In fact, Carpstar's light gray fur was bristling as he stalked over to his den.

"Hi Runningbrook!" Spottedkit meowed, padding in a while after her father left.

"Hello Spottedkit, what can I do for you today?" Runningbrook meowed padding over to where a bunch of ferns were laid out.

"Can I some ferns?" Spottedkit asked politely. "My siblings and I are playing clan."

"Of course!" Runningbrook purred with amusement and nudged a small pile towards Spottedkit. "Remember no brambles. I don't want to pull more thorns out of your pads or waste herbs on scratches that are easily prevented."

"Thanks!" Spottedkit picked the bundle up, completely ignoring Runningbrook's words, and headed to where Weedkit was placing moss and rocks in neat places. She wove the ferns among the bramble thorns that Weedkit had placed very carefully in a circle, and stepped back to admire their work.

"That looks good." Weedkit pronounced proudly. "Now let's play!" Weedkit gave the signal to their brothers that they were ready which was a tail flick. Spottedkit led the way to the middle of the clearing, stopping in front of Carpstar's den. Moonkit and Cloudkit were already there while their father talked with the clan deputy, Blazenose a few tail-lengths away.

"Hello Spottedstar, Weedtail." Moonkit meowed calmly. "Nice to see you again."

"Greetings to you too Moonstar and Cloudsong." Spottedkit repeated the greeting in the same calm tone of Moonkit. Anticipation filled her as she realized what was about to happen. They played the same game each time though it varied with the accusations.

"You have been stealing our prey!" Moonkit accused them, taking a dignified step forward. Though it was hard to determine how dignified it was since Moonkit stumbled in the process.

"Stealing! Us?" Spottedkit mock-growled. "No it was _you_ who have been stealing _our_ prey!" Their prey was actually a pretty seashell while their brothers' prey was a pretty rock.

Moonkit let out a low growl and stalked away with Cloudkit following close behind. Spottedkit led Weedkit to the camp wall where they can sneak up on Moonkit and Cloudkit without being noticed, completely ignoring their made up camp. As Spottedkit sat down, she could see that her sister already had a battle plan. It was just up to her to approve it since it was her job as 'leader' to do.

"Remember to wait until they are by the elder's den." Weedkit whispered after glancing around the clearing, to make sure that their brothers weren't near. "Then we attack."

Spottedkit nodded in agreement though she could see a view details that have been overworked. Basically who was going to attack who, which in Spottedkit's opinion, was the most important decision in the game. "You attack Moonkit while I attack Cloudkit." Spottedkit meowed after a while, matching her sister's quiet mew.

"Do you think I have it in me?" Weedkit asked, her green eyes widening at the thought of tackling their brother. Moonkit was strong though his big, clumsy paws, suggested that there was more growing left to do.

"Yes, just as long as you concentrate!" Spottedkit meowed, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. Weedkit had always been a little to cautious for her liking. Her gaze narrowed as Moonkit and Cloudkit raced past towards their camp which was currently sitting undefended. Spottedkit regretted the fact that they were more than a few fox-lengths away and she couldn't see how they could make it before Moonkit and Cloudkit stole their seashell.

"Attack!" Weedkit yowled leaping out of the camp wall and racing towards Moonkit. Spottedkit followed, not missing a beat as she raced alongside her sister, a squeal of delight escaping her throat. Cloudkit and Moonkit whirled around, ready to meet the challenge. Cloudkit was holding the seashell in his mouth.

Cloudkit dropped the shell and ducked as Spottedkit leaped towards him. Spottedkit landed behind her brother and felt him grab her tail gently with her teeth. She turned and swatted him with sheathed paws. Cloudkit pretended to stagger from the 'impact' but gave Spottedkit a good nip. Spottedkit leaped on top of him and pinned him with a paw. When it came to contests of strength, Spottedkit and Moonkit were evenly matched but Spottedkit always thought that she had the upper paw.

"We surrender!" Moonkit squeaked from where Weedkit was pummeling his belly with her paws though Spottedkit could see that Moonkit was letting her do so.

"Good!" Weedkit meowed, she bared her teeth in a fake snarl as she let Moonkit up. "Now get off our territory!"

"Yes Weedtail!" Moonkit meowed breaking free of her grip. He stared at her for a heartbeat before racing back to the nursery, Cloudkit at his heels. Spottedkit and Weedkit followed them, 'chasing' their 'enemy' out of their 'territory'.

"Let's play mossball!" Cloudkit yowled over his shoulder at his sisters.

"I think it is too late for that." A silver she-cat meowed from where she was sunning herself outside the nursery. It was their mother, Silverwater. "Besides, your father is going to see you soon." Spottedkit glanced up at the sky. The sun was low in the still blue sky but it was closer to the horizon than it was earlier.

"Is he coming now?" Weedkit squeaked.

"No, he is on the sunset patrol." Their mother meowed, sitting up. "When he comes back, he will have a word with us."

"Ok! We can play mossball till then!" Moonkit meowed, looking around.

"I told you no!" Silverwater scolded, bringing Moonkit closer to her with her tail. "Just _look_ at you! All of you clean your pelts _right now_!" Silverwater started to groom Moonkit. Spottedkit, Cloudkit and Weedkit quickly began to groom their pelts before Silverwater could scoop them up and groom them once she was done with Moonkit.

"I don't see why we have to clean ourselves." Cloudkit mumbled through his fur. His voice became clearer as he stopped grooming. "Carpstar has seen us a mess before."

"Are we becoming apprentices tonight?" Spottedkit asked between licks, remembering what Runningbrook had told her father earlier. It seemed like it would be soon since they only have half a moon left. Why wait half a moon when they could become apprentices _now_?

"No! You still have a quarter moon left." Silverwater meowed shaking her head. "And Carpstar needs to talk to us about something important."

"Don't you mean he has to talk to _you_?" Moonkit asked grumpily. He had managed to wriggle out of Silverwater's grip. His pelt was still a little ruffled which he was smoothing down with his tongue. Spottedkit couldn't help but agree with her brother. Their father hardly spoke with them and if he did it was mainly to scold them or to reluctantly tell them what great warriors they were going to be.

"I suppose...but still you need to prepare to sleep anyway." Silverwater meowed thoughtfully, gazing proudly at her kits. "There! Now you kits are ready for bed."

"Can't we have a story instead?" Weedkit pleaded with wide, pleading eyes.

"Well...I suppose..." Silverwater meowed, herding them into the nursery. "What story do you want to hear?"

"How Leopardclan won the river!" Weedkit meowed.

"The Great Journey!" Moonkit squealed, pouncing on Cloudkit's tail.

"I want to learn about Cheetahclan. I heard the elders talking about it a few sunrises ago." Cloudkit calmly freed his tail from Moonkit's grip.

"I'd like to hear about the beginning of the clans." Spottedkit meowed, her eyes narrowing in thought. "Or about a former clan cat, like Firestar or Bluestar."

Silverwater gazed thoughtfully over the kits. "How about I tell you the story of a former Shadowclan deputy?"

All the kits looked at each other. Moonkit flicked his tail for the kits to gather around. "I'd like to hear the story." He meowed, his amber gaze held a strange look to them. "But I'd like to know your opinions about it."

"I'm interested," Spottedkit shuffled her paws excitedly. Most of the clan stories she had heard where about Thunderclan, Windclan and of course, Riverclan cats. Their mother was extremely reluctant to tell stories about Shadowclan even though the elders had told them about Shadowclan multiple times, no Shadowclan deputy had been mentioned unless it was an influential cat like Littlecloud or Tawnypelt. "I'd want to know the Shadowclan cat she's talking about."

"It will be interesting to see or hear how Shadowclan lives," Weedkit admitted.

"I don't want to since it seems disloyal." Cloudkit meowed, his blue eyes clouded with worry. "But it seems I'm outvoted anyway."

Moonkit dipped his head in assent and turned to Silverwater. "We'd like to hear the story."

"Then come into the nest and I'll tell you." Silverwater invited with a flick of her tail. Spottedkit followed Moonkit and her siblings into the nest when they were comfortable, Silverwater began the story. "I will tell you about Stonetooth, who was Shadowclan's deputy long ago back in the old forest. Back then, Riverclan shared a border with Windclan and Thunderclan. Windclan shared a border with us and Shadowclan."

"Does that mean, Thunderclan shared a border with Riverclan and Shadowclan?" Moonkit asked.

"Yes, little one," Silverwater nuzzled Moonkit. "Now, back then there was also a Moonstone which lies within Mothermouth and Highstones. No cat knows much about Stonetooth's kithood or apprenticeship but we do know about his deputyship."

"Stonetooth was deputy?" Cloudkit meowed with wide eyes. "I want to be deputy when I become a warrior!"

"What did he look like?" Spottedkit asked.

"Stonetooth had one long, canine tooth. His eyes were amber and his pelt was the color of stone." Silverwater frowned, her blue eyes narrowed in thought. "Actually, he had long teeth in general. He had a gray tabby pelt as well. He retired to the elder's den during a gathering which Raggedstar took his place. He served under Ceaderstar and he didn't live long enough to see Brokenstar's rule." The kits shivered at the mention of Shadowclan's former evil leader but they gazed at their mother expectantly, waiting for her to continue the story. When she didn't, they exchanged disappointed glances.

"Is that it?" Weedkit asked, sounding disappointed.

"Yes, I told you not much is known about him." Silverwater flicked her tail. "Now get some sleep." Spottedkit curled up in the nest with her siblings around her and drifted off to sleep after realizing that she was indeed tired.


	3. Chapter 2: Apprenticeship

"Let all cats old enough to swim, gather around for a clan meeting." Spottedkit could barely contain her excitement as her father called the clan together. Weedkit, Moonkit, and Cloudkit were clustered around her as they waited for the clan to gather. Spottedkit wondered who her mentor will be. She'd like Tigerfang because he was so fierce and loyal. Watermoon and Silverreed joined the clan last and Carpstar began the ceremony. "Until she has earned her warrior name this apprentice shall be known as Weedpaw. Tigerfang, you are ready for your first apprentice and I expect you to pass all you have learned down to Weedpaw."

Tigerfang, his amber eyes gleaming, stepped forward. Weedpaw padded over and timidly touched noses with the light tabby tom. Carpstar turned to Cloudkit. "Until this apprentice has earned his warrior name, he shall be known as Cloudpaw. Watersnake, you are ready for an apprentice. Teach Cloudpaw all that he needs to know to be a fine warrior."

"I'll do my best," Watersnake promised. He stepped into the circle and waited as Cloudpaw ran up to him. They touched noses and withdrew into the circle.

"Until she has earned her warrior name, this apprentice shall be known as Spottedpaw." Carpstar's gaze searched through the ground until it landed on one cat. Her heart sank it wasn't a strong fierce warrior it was…. "Eaglewing, you are ready for an apprentice. Train Spottedpaw well and teach her that fighting isn't everything and that fun exists in peace time as well." The words spoken, Spottedpaw padded reluctantly over to Eaglewing. Eaglewing is a loyal and peace-loving warrior though he doesn't hesitate to fight. They touched noses and withdrew into the circle. It was Moonkit's turn now.

"Until this apprentice earns his warrior name, he shall be known as Moonpaw." Carpstar nodded to his deputy. "Blazenose, you have informed me that you are ready to train another apprentice. You will mentor Moonpaw. Teach him all you know and allow him to become a noble warrior." Blazenose and Moonpaw touched noses while Spottedpaw fumed. Moonpaw got the deputy as his mentor! All Spottedpaw had was a warrior that she barely knew and was a goody two-paws.

"Moonpaw!"

"Cloudpaw!"

"Spottedpaw!"

"Weedpaw!"

"Moonpaw!"

"Cloudpaw!"

"Spottedpaw!"

"Weedpaw!"

Eaglewing nudged Spottedpaw. Spottedpaw looked at him, curiosity in her eyes. "Ready for the tour of the territory?"

"Yes!" Spottedpaw raced to the entrance but Eaglewing quickly overtook her. Spottedpaw skidded to a halt and glared at her mentor.

Eaglewing didn't seem to notice. "Maybe I'll suspend the tour if you are going to dash off everywhere and show you were to gather moss to take care of the elders instead." Spottedpaw flicked her tail but didn't say anything. Eaglewing, who seemed satisfied, padded out of the camp. Spottedpaw followed close behind, her angry thoughts melting away in the face of her excitement. The territory was huge! Picking up the pace, Spottedpaw dashed over to her mentor's shoulder. The dry ground was growing damp as the forest floor became clotted with pine needles. Soon a rank stench reached Spottedpaw's nose as well as dark, dirty scent.

"What are those smells?" Spottedpaw asked, wrinkling her nose.

Eaglewing let out a purr and rounded a bramble bush. In front of them was a black, stone path with yellow and white streaks. "This is the thunderpath, that borders our territory and Shadowclan's." Eaglewing's mew grew dark and his purr died away. "Never go near the thunderpath even while chasing prey. It is very dangerous and cats have died on there. As for Shadowclan, they say that their territory is so bleak and prey-poor that Shadowclan cats are very hostile."

Spottedpaw's tail flicked and her mind wondered to a battle with Shadowclan. She imagined that she was fighting a tough Shadowclan warrior that she was beating single pawed! A cuff ended her imagination and she glared at Eaglewing as her mentor padded away. She followed her mentor, reluctantly. She wanted to explore Shadowclan territory! Soon the trees gave away to a windy moor. An earth-like scent washed over her. "What scent is that?"

"Windclan," Eaglewing answered. "They live with their tails touching the sky and are the closest to Starclan."

"Are they our guardians?" Spottedpaw asked, her eyes wide with wonder.

Eaglewing's whiskers shook in amusement. "No, they aren't our guardians. Windclan are close to Starclan because they live on the moor with no trees to block their path. That's why they are so fast."

"Can we explore their territory?" Spottedpaw asked, stretching a paw out. Immediately a tail blocked her path.

"No!" Eaglewing meowed firmly, his eyes flashing. "We don't want a fight right now, especially when you haven't had any training." Before Spottedpaw could snap at her mentor, Eaglewing turned back towards the trees. Soon they were on the path that led back to camp. Spottedpaw's paws felt weary but she wanted to see the area around the lake but Eaglewing had told her that they had enough for one day. She padded through the tunnel and over to the apprentice's den, looking forward to some rest. Entering the den, she saw four nests that was freshly lined with moss. Padding over to the closest one, Spottedpaw laid down and closed her amber eyes, giving in to sleep.

* * *

She woke in the morning, dawn light filtering through the den. She sat up in her nest, her fur rustling the moss. Stripepaw and Troutpaw were just beginning to stir in their nests. Weedpaw, Moonpaw and Cloudpaw were still fast asleep, Weedpaw snoring despite her tail covering her muzzle. Spottedpaw licked a paw and drew it over her ear, wondering what Eaglewing was going to teach her today.

"You're up early," Stripepaw yawned. "Are you on the dawn patrol too?"

"No, Stripepaw," Spottedpaw shook her head. "I was just too excited to sleep."

Troutpaw blinked her amber eyes open and raised her head. "Soon, you'll be too tired to get up early. Training is tough and I can't imagine how hard Eaglewing will train you."

Spottedpaw pricked her ears. "What do you mean?"

Stripepaw answered this time. "Troutpaw don't tease, you know his former apprentices died before they made warrior."

Fear clutched Spottedpaw's heart. "What do you mean?"

Troutpaw sat up and began washing her tail. "His first apprentice perished from Greencough and the second died from a badger attack. You're his third."

"Will I die too?" Spottedpaw whispered, staring at her paws.

Stripepaw's whiskers twitched in amusement. "No, that was just bad luck. I'm sure you'll be fine." Before Spottedpaw could reply, Stripepaw left the den.

Troutpaw stood and stretched in her nest. "I got to go, Leafmoon is giving me my final assessment today. Hopefully I pass."

"Good luck then!" Spottedpaw rose to her paws. "You go ahead, I'm going to wake my lazy siblings." Troutpaw purred and padded out of the den, her tail swishing as she left. Weedpaw was the closest. Spottedpaw prodded her sister's shoulder gently with her paw. When Weedpaw began to stir, she padded over to Moonpaw. Though Moonpaw leapt to his paws as soon as Spottedpaw prodded him, he swiped his claws in the air. Spottedpaw ducked out of the way, barely making it. She was used to this reaction from her brother. He's been doing it since he was a few days old. Before Moonpaw could apologize, Spottedpaw bounded over to Cloudpaw. The silver apprentice was curled up tightly in his nest, his tail just touching his nose. Spottedpaw gently pulled his tail and Cloudpaw was up instantly.

"Hey!" Cloudpaw complained, licking his tail. "What did you do that for?"

"Training," Spottedpaw answered, giving her brother an apologetic lick. "It's our first day as apprentices!"

"Where's Troutpaw and Stripepaw?" Weedpaw asked, wide awake now.

"Troutpaw is taking her final assessment and Stripepaw is on the dawn patrol," Spottedpaw answered. She padded out of the den before her siblings could say another word. She sat down a tail-length away from the entrance to the apprentice's den. Blazenose was organizing patrols in the clearing. There was no sign of Silverpelt, Stripepaw and Silverwater. _Dawn patrol, I guess._ Spottedpaw thought, quickly spotting her mentor. Eaglewing was hanging around Sharkfang, his eyes narrowed. Tigerfang was padding over to the apprentices den with Blackcloud and Watersnake. Runningbrook was just padding into camp, his jaws full of herbs. Watermoon was at the fresh-kill pile, her tail flicking while Silverweed sat and watched the warriors through narrowed eyes.

"Are your siblings awake?" Tigerfang asked, as he approached.

Spottedpaw nodded. "Do you want me to get them?" she offered.

"No need!" Weedpaw meowed, popping out of the apprentices' den. Cloudpaw and Moonpaw were right behind her, their eyes gleaming.

"What are we doing today?" Cloudpaw asked, padding over to his mentor.

"Hunting," Watersnake answered. He glanced at Spottedpaw. "You can join us since Eaglewing is going to lead a patrol soon to the Shadowclan border."

"Ok!" Spottedpaw happily followed them over to the entrance and out into the forest. Tigerfang took the lead as soon as the camp was behind them and led them to the edge of the lake.

Once there, the striped warrior sat down at the water's edge and looked at the apprentices. "Do either of you, know how to swim?" He asked.

All four apprentices exchanged glances with one another. Then Weedpaw spoke for the four of them. "We can swim but not well."

"But good enough to hunt?" Blackcloud pressed.

"I guess so," Moonpaw meowed, staring at his paws.

Watersnake padded past Tigerfang, the lake lapping over her paws. "Then let's learn how to fish!"

"How?" Spottedpaw asked, tilting her head.

Tigerfang smiled and beckoned the apprentices into the water. "We have to watch underwater or would you rather have us explain the technique to you?"

"Watch underwater!" The apprentices cried in unison. Spottedpaw swished her tail in anticipation. She knew that fishing could be done out of the water but the hardest technique was catching them in the water according to Troutpaw. When fishing underwater a warrior had to be quick so he or she can return to the surface with their kill before they could drown.

Blackcloud flicked his tail for them to get in the water. Then dived under. Tigerfang and Watersnake followed suit. Moonpaw dived under with Cloudpaw and Weedpaw following. Spottedpaw padded over until she couldn't feel the bottom anymore and swam at the surface. She took a deep breath before diving underwater. As the cloud of bubbles cleared, she saw Tigerfang swim up to a trout and sink his teeth into the fish's scales. The warrior then swam up to the surface. Spottedpaw was about to follow when a minnow swam right past her. Quickly, Spottedpaw hooked the minnow and brought it up to her jaws. Jaw wrapped securely around the fish, Spottedpaw swam up to the surface, bursting into the air.

"Nice catch, Spottedpaw!" Tigerfang meowed, sitting on the bank.

"Thanks!" Spottedpaw meowed, dropping her fish on the shore.

"No way! You caught a minnow!" Moonpaw meowed, padding onto the shore.

"I wish I caught a fish," Weedpaw meowed.

Cloudpaw emerged onto the shore a dead carp hanging from her jaws. "I caught a carp!"

"Nice!" Fishpaw suddenly wished she caught a carp. "I caught a minnow!"

"You both did well," Blackcloud spluttered as his head poked up out of the water. Watersnake was beside him, swimming easily against the current.

"I thought we were supposed to _watch_ ," Moonpaw pointed out. "Not hunt!"

Blackcloud padded out of the stream and flicked Moonpaw's ear with his tail. "True, but when a fish swims right past you, do you let it go or kill it?"

Moonpaw stared at his paws before answering. "You kill it but still...we weren't given instructions on how to hunt."

"You need to rely more on your instincts," Blackcloud responded. "Thinking alone won't win battles or provide food for the clan."

"Yes, Blackcloud." Moonpaw mumbled, sitting down on the pebbles. A tense silence followed the lecture and Spottedpaw ran her paws over the pebbles, wondering what to do now.

"Let's continue to hunt," Tigerfang meowed, breaking the silence. "We have hungry mouths to feed."

* * *

Spottedpaw trotted into the camp, two minnows hanging from her jaws. It was sunhigh and the fish were already beginning to get affected by the heat. She hurriedly dropped her kill on the prey heap and turned to see her siblings do the same. Cloudpaw placed down her carp and a minnow. Weedpaw and Moonpaw each had two minnows. The warriors each carried a trout. Carpstar, who was sitting in the clearing, nodded at them. "I see you've had good hunting," her father commented.

"We did," Watersnake responded calmly. "The apprentices had a lot of fun."

"That's good to hear," Carpstar muttered. Carpstar rose to his paws and padded over to his den, disappearing inside without so much as a glance at his kits. Silverwater was nowhere to be seen and Spottedpaw wondered if her mother was out on patrol. Spottedpaw turned to head for the apprentices' den, feeling worn out from the hunting when Eaglewing intercepted her path.

"Hey!" Spottedpaw snapped. "I want to get some sleep!"

"No resting until we have done some battle training!" Eaglewing growled in response. "You have to be able to defend yourself against our enemies."

"Why?" Spottedpaw retorted. "There was nothing on the patrol that was suspicious was there?"

Eaglewing didn't answer. He just glared at her, flicking his tail slowly from side to side.

"Is there?" Spottedpaw repeated, wondering what had happened on the patrol. Eaglewing didn't seem to have any scratches on him so there wasn't a fight. However he seemed worried.

"Yes," Eaglewing meowed. "We spotted hints of rogue activity by our border with Windclan."

"Is there going to be a battle?" Spottedpaw asked, her eyes widening in excitement. She couldn't wait to fight!

Eaglewing shook his head. "Hopefully they were just passing through. If not then I want you to be able to defend yourself."

"Yes!" Spottedpaw meowed, her eyes brightening. "Battle training!"

Eaglewing let out a purr, his whiskers twitching in amusement. "Let's go!" Without waiting for a response, the warrior turned and raced out of the camp. Spottedpaw glanced at the apprentices' den before racing after her mentor. She would get some sleep later, right now she had a battle to prepare for!

* * *

Riverclan

Leader: Carpstar: A light gray tom with green eyes

Deputy: Blazenose: A brown and white tom with a white blaze down the muzzle. Has brown eyes

Medicine cat: Runningbrook: a golden tabby tom with green eyes

Warriors:

Silverpelt: A silver she-cat with amber eyes Apprentice: Stripepaw

Moonlight: A black tom with white spots and pale green eyes

Leafmoon: tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes Apprentice: Troutpaw

Blackcloud: black and white tom with green eyes Apprentice: Moonpaw

Watersnake: A white tom with spots that look like diamonds and has green-blue eyes Apprentice: Cloudpaw

Tigerfang: A light tabby tom with amber eyes Apprentice: Weedpaw

Eaglewing: A brown tabby tom with green eyes and a white muzzle Apprentice: Spottedpaw

Sharkfang: A gray she-cat with amber eyes

Silverwater: A silver and white she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentices:

Stripepaw: A golden brown tabby tom with a striped tail and pale amber eyes

Troutpaw: A silver-white tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Weedpaw: a dark gray she-cat with green eyes; a darker gray than Moonpaw

Cloudpaw: a silver tabby tom with blue eyes and a white muzzle

Spottedpaw: a light gray she-cat with white spots and amber eyes

Moonpaw: a dark gray tom with one white paw and amber eyes

Queens:

Kits:

Elders:

Watermoon: a dark gray she-cat with flecks of white on her muzzle and ears; has blue eyes

Silverreed: a silver tabby tom with a white-tipped tail and green eyes


	4. Chapter 3: Battle Training

Eventually they arrived at a clearing and Eaglewing slowed to a stop. He turned and face Spottedpaw, a gleam in his eyes. Spottedpaw skidded to a halt and gazed at Eaglewing excitedly. "What are we learning first?"

"The strengths and weaknesses of each clan." Eaglewing responded, sitting down and curling his tail around his paws.

Spottedpaw just stared at her mentor in shock. _The strengths and weaknesses of each clan? Come on that's boring! I want to actually learn some battle moves!_ "You have to be kidding."

"I'm not," Eaglewing responded, a growl edging his mew. "A good warrior knows how to take advantage of their enemy's weakness while also keeping a lookout for their strengths."

"I already know that the stuff!" Spottedpaw growled, dropping into a crouch, her tail waving. "I want to learn some actual battle moves!" She leaped into the air and pretended to slash at an enemy before landing with a thud on the ground.

"That move needs work," Eaglewing observed quietly. Then he rose to his paws and soon he had Spottedpaw pinned to the ground. He glared at Spottedpaw and bared his teeth, showing his sharp fangs. "We are learning about the other clans today and that's that. If you have a problem with that then take it up with your father! However, I doubt he would agree with you!"

"I don't care!" Spottedpaw spat back, trying to throw Eaglewing off.

Eaglewing just stood there, well out of reach of Spottedpaw's paws and teeth. "You should care!" he spat. "This could mean the difference between life and death!"

"I don't care if I join Starclan!" Spottedpaw hissed.

Eaglewing cuffed her around the ears. "You should care," he repeated, gentler this time. He let Spottedpaw get up and she was startled to see disappointment in his eyes. "Carpstar was right. You are impulsive and stubborn."

"I'm not impulsive and stubborn!" Spottedpaw snapped. "I just want to learn how to fight!"

"After we talk about the clans' strengths and weaknesses!" Eaglewing spat back. "We will start with an easy clan, Riverclan."

Spottedpaw sat down and grumbled. Then she answered reluctantly. "Our biggest strength is being able to swim and work with the water. We can use our big size to our advantage as well as our lighting quick reflexes."

Eaglewing nodded in approval. "Good, now tell me our weaknesses."

"Uh…." Spottedpaw titled her head thoughtfully. Did Riverclan have any weaknesses? She couldn't think of any.

Eaglewing, growing impatient with her silence, spoke. "Think of territories and what we are used to and what can hinder us."

"Uh…. our thick fur can hinder us in Thunderclan territory." Spottedpaw meowed, remembering the elders talking of past battles. "They have so much undergrowth that its hard to move quickly enough to block their attacks without getting stuck in the foliage."

"Good, and Shadowclan?" Eaglewing prompted.

"Our pelts can blend in somewhat to the territory and we are used to wet ground." Spottedpaw meowed, thinking carefully. "We are prone to their ambush attacks since we aren't familiar with the territory and while we are quick and strong, Shadowclan relies more on their strength and brute force. If we don't have a second patrol as a backup, we can easily be overwhelmed and not only that Shadowclan is clever enough to take advantage of any weakness or slowness."

"That is true," Eaglewing agreed. "What about Windclan?"

"Our size and lightning quick reflexes can be an asset fighting against them since we can easily overpower them." Spottedpaw swiftly responded. Windclan was easy. "Though they often use their speed to advantage and have the stamina to outfight us. Though they are easy to unbalance and knock out because of this."

"Very good," Eaglewing purred. "You managed to identify Windclan's strengths and weaknesses while also describing our strengths and weaknesses. Now do Thunderclan's."

"They are slow yet powerful," Spottedpaw responded. "Without the advantage of their territory, we can easily beat them back with our size and quick strikes."

"Good and Shadowclan?"

"Shadowclan may be clever and stealthy but we can use our strength to our advantage as long as we have a second patrol nearby to outwit them."

"Good, now we can learn some battle moves." Eaglewing meowed, rising to his paws.

"Yay!" Spottedpaw leaped to her paws excitedly. "What am I going to learn first?"

"Something simple," Eaglewing responded. "When I rush by, you need to raise your paws and push me away."

"What! That's easy!" Spottedpaw complained. "Can't we do something more complicated?"

"No!" Eaglewing snapped before racing towards her.

Spottedpaw simply stepped out of the way and stubbornly refused to raise her paws. Eaglewing raced past and flashed out a paw, knocking Spottedpaw off her paws. Before Spottedpaw could react, Eaglewing had her pinned down, looking triumphant and angry.

" _What was that_?" Eaglewing roared, glaring at her. "That was _pathetic_!"

"Sorry!" Spottedpaw growled back. "I thought I simply didn't need to learn the move!"

Eaglewing cuffed her ears and let Spottedpaw up. He glared at her. "Let's try it again and then we are heading back to camp so you can care for the elders' for the rest of the day."

"Fine," Spottedpaw muttered.

Eaglewing ignored her as he trotted away. Then the warrior turned around and suddenly rushed at Spottedpaw. Spottedpaw raised her paws and batted Eaglewing away, grunting with the effort and toppling over at the end of it. _This is harder than it should be…._

"Are you ok?" Eaglewing asked, padding over and looking at Spottedpaw.

"Yes," Spottedpaw meowed, rising to her paws. "What did I do wrong?"

"You didn't have your balance when you pushed me away," Eaglewing explained. The warrior wasn't even ruffled which told Spottedpaw that she hadn't pushed him far.

"Then how do I get my balance or work on it?" Spottedpaw asked.

"Practice," Eaglewing replied. "Let's try the move again but this time, plant your paws firmly on the ground."

Spottedpaw nodded and watched as Eaglewing trotted away, back to the same position he was in. Then the brown tabby rushed at her again. Spottedpaw rose on her hind legs, making sure her paws were firmly on the ground before pushing Eaglewing away with her front paws. She fell onto all fours afterwards and stumbled, nearly falling on the ground.

"Better," her mentor meowed with a nod. "Let's try again."

They practiced the move well into the day. Each time Spottedpaw improved little by little and Eaglewing was pushed farther and farther away. After Spottedpaw had pushed the warrior away a final time, she managed to stay on her paws and whirled around to dodge his counterattack. When she met Eaglewing's gaze, she saw approval in his eyes.

"You did really well," Eaglewing meowed. "Your speed will come later once you have fished enough to be super quick. Until then let's head back to camp. I believe you have some elders to tend to."

Spottedpaw flattened her ears but didn't say anything as she followed Eaglewing back to camp. She had hoped that he had forgotten her punishment to care for the elders but apparently, he hadn't which stinks.


	5. Chapter 4: Fox

Spottedpaw slipped out of the apprentices' den. She yawned and stretched, letting her claws slide out for a moment before sheathing them. It had been a few days since her punishment with the elders and she was looking forward to the upcoming gathering. It was in a few days and so far she had been hunting to the best of her ability and practicing her fighting skills often in hopes that she would be chosen to go.

Not only that, Riverclan had found remains of prey in their territory. They couldn't identify who killed the prey or why they would eat the prey on the spot. It was if there was a predator in the territory, an unattainable predator. It was made worse when strange cats were scented only yesterday on the sunhigh patrol.

Today, Spottedpaw was to go on her first dawn patrol and she was excited. She was hoping she would encounter the prey stealers or at least one of the other clan cats. She had yet to meet them and see if the nursery and elder's tales were true. Were Shadowclan cats as dark and icy as her clanmates told her? Were Windclan cats really cowardly and downtrodden? Were they flighty and nervous and quick-witted? Is it true that they sleep and eat with Starclan cats all the time on the moors? Was Thunderclan really heroic or were they dark? It was difficult to tell with the tales. Thunderclan seemed as mysterious as Shadowclan as times, not willing to give away much but yet they liked to break the code. They acted like the borders meant nothing to them and let rogues and loners walk across their land without so much as a hiss.

Spottedpaw let out a sigh. She loved being with Riverclan. Every cat was so nice and friendly and thoughtful. Then again, she had known the clan since birth and nothing since. However, she wished that her father would pay her and her siblings more attention. It was like they never existed at all. However, she could understand since her father was clan leader after all and he couldn't show favoritism or bias towards them. Yet he was with Silverwater almost constantly but not his kits. That was odd and Spottedpaw was doing her best to prove that she was a good daughter.

Her thoughts were interrupted by movement coming from the warriors' den. She turned and flicked her tail in greeting as her mentor padded over, yawning. Eaglewing's brown tabby fur was sticking out all over the place. "You look like you fought a badger three times!" Spottedpaw teased.

Eaglewing stiffened slightly and gazed at Spottedpaw through slightly narrowed eyes. "No!" he snapped. "I slept just fine, thank you."

Spottedpaw flattened her ears and recoiled. Eaglewing had been like this recently and she couldn't understand why. Perhaps he wasn't sleeping well, and it was affecting his duties? Should she tell Runningbrook or just leave her mentor alone? "Well…uh…who else is on the patrol with us?"

Eaglewing gave her a fierce glare. "Don't tell me you've forgotten already!" he growled.

Spottedpaw flattened her ears. "I was just curious since you only told me I was on the dawn patrol and nothing past that!" she snapped back.

Eaglewing heisted for too long.

"Huh!" Spottedpaw growled. "Apparently _I'm_ not the forgetful one!"

"What is going on?"

Spottedpaw glanced over her shoulder, eyes brightening when she spotted the golden brown and white tabby pelt of Stripepaw. He was the oldest apprentice ever since Troutpelt became a warrior a few days ago. "Eaglewing thinks I'm fishbrained again!" she complained to her fellow apprentice.

Stripepaw twitched his whiskers in amusement. "Oh, I'm sure that's not true."

"Then what do you think?" Spottedpaw hissed irritably.

Stripepaw let out a chuckle and soon quieted down as Silverpelt padded out of the warriors' den. As senior warrior, Silverpelt was leading the patrol. The silver she-cat's fur was groomed to perfection and her gaze was unreadable as her ears pricked at the sound of bickering. However, her accusing gaze wasn't for the apprentices, it was for Eaglewing.

"Must you make every cat get in such a foul mood?" She accused with a flick of her tail. "I know you aren't a morning cat but at least make an effort to act cheerful for once! For the remainder of this patrol I want no bickering and that goes for all of you." She transferred her accusing gaze to the apprentices.

Spottedpaw and Stripepaw nodded in agreement immediately. Then all eyes went to Eaglewing as they waited for his response. Eaglewing just huffed. "Well, are we going or not?" he growled.

Silverpelt glared at him before padding over to the camp entrance. She slipped out of the camp, followed by Stripepaw and Spottedpaw, leaving Eaglewing to take up the rear.

Spottedpaw trotted along at the rear, boredom clutching her mind. She half-heartedly marked the Shadowclan border. They had seen no Shadowclan cats and no signs of prey-stealing or the intruders. Spottedpaw sat down and watched as Eaglewing sniffed the border while Silverpelt remarked the border a few tail-lengths away. She was joined by Stripepaw, who was looking equally as bored, but he seemed to be used to it as well.

"Are border patrols always this boring?" Spottedpaw asked him.

"Yeah," Stripepaw responded without much enthusiasm. "Not much seems to be happening with the Clans lately so there isn't much concern over cats crossing borders to attack."

"But we can't trust Shadowclan!" Spottedpaw pointed out, her eyes wide. "Not after what happened after their leader and deputy died!"

Stripepaw snorted. "Lynxfur died of infection and-"

"He died of an infection because of a battle over prey!" Spottedpaw spat, her tail flicking. "That _we_ caused!"

Stripepaw snorted. "Yes, that's true but the elders say that it was an accident so who cares? Anyway, Longstar died of greencough and Froststar has been leading the clan ever since."

"I wonder what news they'll have to share with us at the gathering," Spottedpaw wondered aloud. Riverclan didn't have much to say except for the usual if she was listening to the warriors correctly.

"Who knows?" Stripepaw shrugged and flicked his tail. "Hey, Silverpelt! Are we heading back to camp?"

Silverpelt glanced at her apprentice and nodded. "Yes, Stripepaw we are."

"We aren't though," Eaglewing growled, glancing at Spottedpaw. "We are going to work on your hunting skills. They're pathetic!"

Spottedpaw flattened her ears and leaped to her paws, glaring at her mentor. "Hunting can wait!" she snapped, her tail flicking. "Besides we _have_ to report what happened on the patrol! Silverpelt and Stripepaw need to train too and you don't see them wondering off and not reporting what happened!"

"There's nothing to report!" Eaglewing snapped back, flattening his ears as well.

"Eaglewing!" Silverpelt's stern voice made both cats freeze. "I thought I told you to behave yourself on patrol even though you aren't a morning cat?"

"You did," Eaglewing muttered, stifling a yawn.

Silverpelt narrowed her eyes. "Were you night hunting again?"

"Yes," Eaglewing meowed sheepishly. He shuffled his paws as if he was guilty about something.

Silverpelt let out a sigh. "Alright, let's all go back to camp and I'll take Spottedpaw and Stripepaw out for some hunting and battle practice while you rest."

"Are you sure about that?" Eaglewing challenged, though relief flashed across his gaze. "Won't Blazenose and Carpstar be mad?"

Silverpelt rolled her amber eyes. "Let's deal with that if it becomes an issue. Now let's stop lurking around and head back to camp. They'll be expecting us soon."

Spottedpaw got to her paws and followed the patrol as they padded along towards the camp. Suddenly, Stripepaw stopped in front of her and Spottedpaw nearly bumped into him as she strained to see what was going on.

Up ahead, Silverpelt and Eaglewing had their hackles raised and pelts bristling. Spottedpaw caught the gleam of claws and stiffened slightly, sliding out her own claws. Up ahead was a strange looking russet creature that she had never seen before. Could this be the intruder that was stealing their prey and leaving it half-eaten? _No, it can't be. It doesn't smell like a cat instead it smells musky like an otter but its not an otter. What is it?_

The russet creature had a narrowed, pointed face and pricked ears. Its legs were long and russet-colored as well that faded to black paws. Its tail was big and bushy with a white tail-tip. Its eyes were golden and showed the marks of cunning and its black tipped muzzle curled back in a snarl as it stood over its prey, a freshly killed rabbit. Spottedpaw's eyes widened. She had never seen a rabbit on the pile before but then again, Riverclan didn't get many rabbits even if they bordered the pine forest and the moor.

"Stay back!" Silverpelt's order broke through Spottedpaw's thoughts and the cats began to back up, pelts bristling and claws out.

"What is that creature?" Spottedpaw asked Stripepaw.

"I don't know," Stripepaw meowed sounding just as a curious as Spottedpaw felt.

The warriors however, ignored them, their gazes fixed on the creature. The creature met their gazes and then leaped forward, a ferocious snarl escaping its jaws. Spottedpaw froze, spotting the size of its fangs. Then Eaglewing leaped at it, letting out a furious yowl. Spottedpaw watched as her mentor scratched the creature's nose before leaping back out of range. The creature whirled around to face Eaglewing only to have its flanks scratched by Silverpelt, who leaped out of range as the creature whirled around to face her.

"Spottedpaw! Stripepaw!" Silverpelt yowled, ducking a blow from the creature. "We need your help fighting the fox!"

 _A fox!_ Spottedpaw glanced at the creature again as realization hit her. It matched the elders' descriptions almost perfectly! Letting out a battle cry, she raced forward and slashed at the fox's muzzle before darting out of range. As she did so, a strange energy began to fill her, and her blows grew faster and deadlier.

Stripepaw joined her in her ruthless attack as well as Eaglewing and Silverpelt. Suddenly the fox landed a blow on Spottedpaw's shoulder, making her stagger and hiss in pain.

"Too slow!" Eaglewing quickly told her before darting in and slashing at the fox's ears before leaping out of range. "Speed is _essential_ when fighting these creatures!"

Spottedpaw nodded, gritting her teeth against the pain. Then she leapt forward and slashed the dog-fox's flank. She leaped backwards but was too slow again. The fox flashed out a black paw and slammed her against the ground, making her land against a rock. Splitting pain filled Spottedpaw and her vison grew blurry as she tried to focus on her enemy.

The fox crouched, as if about to leap, then it froze as a golden brown and white tabby leaped in between them, hissing a spitting.

" _No!_ "

Spottedpaw didn't know who yowled as she closed her eyes and sank into the dark feeling of sleep.


	6. Chapter 5: Infection

Spottedpaw was running through the territory, chest heaving as she fought for breath. She was running away from something, but she didn't know what it was. She slowed to catch her breath, only to feel a searing heat against her flanks. She jumped and whirled around, eyes wide as she was faced with a wall of flames. She glanced at her flanks, searching for singed fur but could find none. When she looked up again, a gasp escaped her lips.

The flames have surrounded her, and it was cooler than normal. Though the forest around her, suggested otherwise. Trees and bushes were aflame, quickly turning to ashes. Spottedpaw turned and fled, wanting to get away from the mass destruction. As she turned, a branch snapped and landed right behind her, just narrowly missing her tail. It sent up a series of sparks and the crackling of the flames grew louder. Spottedpaw forced herself to go faster, her gaze spotting the lake up ahead.

If she could only get there…perhaps she would be safe from the flames. She ran as fast as she could, but the lake never seemed to get closer, only farther away. She glanced over her shoulder, panicking when she spotted the flames just a tail-length behind her. She wouldn't be able to outrun the flames. She stopped and closed her eyes, her face tilted upwards as she waited for the flames to consume her…

Spottedpaw jerked awake with a gasp, eyes wide with fear. She could still taste the smoke in her throat and lungs and her eyes still burned as if they were being filled with smoke. She sat up and looked around, taking in deep breaths of the sweet cold air. She relaxed when she realized she was in a nest in the medicine den. The smells confirmed that, and they calmed her as well. She rose to her paws, only to wince in pain. She sank back down in her nest with a sigh.

She glanced over her body, seeing a swathe of cobwebs over her left shoulder. She blinked, wondering where it came from. And why did her head hurt? In a flash, the events came flooding back to her and she let out a gasp. Where was the fox now? Is it gone? Dead? How long was she out?

Movement out of the corner of her eyes, made Spottedpaw turn her gaze. The sight of the familiar golden tabby pelt of Runningbrook made her smile and yet it made her anxious. She watched as the medicine cat approached, herbs in his jaws.

Runningbrook smiled and dropped his herbs at the floor of his den. He padded over and sniffed Spottedpaw gently. "It's good to see you awake, Spottedpaw. You had the whole Clan worried about your health."

"I-I did?" Spottedpaw meowed, gazing at him anxiously. "How long was I out?"

"Only a day," Runningbrook responded. "You got a nasty cut to your head though. However, you can leave the den today. Though you can't train for a full day since I don't know the damage you have received to your brain."

"And my shoulder?"

"No battle training for a few days and you should be fine. Honestly you are lucky that you survived. The fox put up quite a fight before it was driven off from what I've gathered."

"Oh, that's good." Spottedpaw murmured, gazing at her paws.

Runningbrook tilted his head slightly. "Are you alright? Normally cats are begging to leave my den by now."

"Oh, just a nightmare," Spottedpaw meowed nonchalantly.

Runningbrook just blinked at her. "Oh well, that's not too bad. It'll fade soon, and it probably won't happen again."

"I hope not," Spottedpaw meowed. She got to her paws and edged past him, favoring her leg as the shoulder was still painful.

Unfortunately, it didn't make it past Runningbrook. Runningbrook stepped in front of her and nudged her back towards the nest, eyes narrowed in concern. "Sit," he commanded.

Spottedpaw obeyed, a bit unnerved by his commanding tone.

Runningbrook gently removed the cobwebs and examined the wound carefully. He hummed and turned to the herbs, plucking out a few leaves and mushing them together. Then he plastered it on her shoulder and applied more cobwebs. "Turns out that you can't leave camp until the infection disappears. That should be in a few days at the earliest. At the latest, half a moon."

"Why so long?" Spottedpaw gazed at him with wide eyes.

"It depends on your ability to fight off the infection," Runningbrook meowed. "It was caught pretty early so your chances of fighting it off are quicker. That and you are still quite young, that is an advantage in itself."

"Great," Spottedpaw meowed sarcastically. "Can I go now?"

Runningbrook let out a sigh. "Yes, but stay in the camp."

"I'm not a kit!" Spottedpaw snapped before leaving the medicine den. She narrowed her eyes slightly at the brightness in the clearing, but her eyes quickly adjusted. She slowly made her way over to the fresh-kill pile, pleased to see the amount of fish that made it up. She paused at the pile and picked up a minnow and padded away. She sat down and began to eat, wondering where her siblings were.

She paused in her eating and sniffed the air. The scent of her siblings was faint but not old which meant they must've gone out training for the day. She let out a sigh. _Looks like a boring day if I don't do much or have the company of my siblings._

Once the minnow was finished, Spottedpaw got to her paws. She headed over to the elders' den, wondering if they would tell her a story. _It'll probably help the day fly by._ She hadn't gone more than a few pawsteps before she was intercepted by Stripepaw.

Stripepaw had a few scratches marring his pelt and a nick in his left ear. His muzzle had a scratch, but his amber eyes were gleaming and unharmed. Other than that, he seemed completely fine. "You're awake!"

"Yeah," Spottedpaw meowed. _I thought it was…obvious?_

Stripepaw nodded and steered her towards the apprentices' den. "When do you think you will be back in training?"

"I don't know," Spottedpaw meowed. She glanced at her shoulder. "I have an infection and Runningbrook isn't sure how long it would take to clear up."

"Oh, that stinks," Stripepaw meowed. He pranced ahead a few pawsteps. "I'm learning complex battle moves soon!"

"Great," Spottedpaw muttered. She couldn't believe she was missing out on that! Then again, she didn't feel up to learning anyway. She stifled a yawn and padded into the apprentices' den, heading for her nest.

"Don't be so down!" Stripepaw meowed cheerfully. "Runningbrook would let you train soon! After all he's letting you sleep with us!"

Spottedpaw let out a sigh as she laid down in her nest, tiredness dragging at her limbs. "Yeah, but he said he caught it early. I have to go back each day to monitor the infection." Her words were broken up in a yawn. "…if it gets worse I have to sleep in the medicine den until it disappears."

"Well, there's hope at least." Stripepaw pointed out calmly. "You'll be up and training soon for sure! I'll leave you rest now." Before Spottedpaw could say a word, Stripepaw turned around and left the den.

 _Good riddance_ , Spottedpaw grumbled to herself as she lowered her head onto her paws. She closed her eyes as sleep consumed her.


	7. Chapter 6: Gathering Night at Camp PT 1

"Spottedpaw! Spottedpaw!" A paw gently prodding Spottedpaw, woke her up.

"Weedpaw? What is it?" Spottedpaw asked, letting out a yawn. It's been a few sunrises since she left the medicine den and the infection was still raging, but according to Runningbrook, it was getting better.

"We get to go the gathering!" Weedpaw meowed excitedly, her eyes shining. It dulled a bit when she pulled back and looked at her sister. "Well, Cloudpaw, Moonpaw and I are. I know you can't go because of your infection…."

"It's alright," Spottedpaw interrupted. "You guys have been looking forward to this for ages. You deserve to go. Don't stay behind because of me."

"If you're sure…." Weedpaw meowed uncertainly.

"Of course, I'm sure. You can tell me all about it when you get back," Spottedpaw lied. The truth be told, she wasn't happy to miss her first gathering. In fact, she had wanted to go ever since she was told about it! It wasn't fair! _Stupid fox. If you ever come back, I'll make sure you regret keeping me from a gathering!_

"Great!" Weedpaw meowed, touching her sister's ear gently. "I'll make sure not to leave out any details!" The dark gray she-cat turned and trotted away, her tail flicking.

Spottedpaw watched her go, grumbling under her breath. She sat up and began to groom herself, her paws itching to sneak out and join them. _That might not be such a bad idea. If I can sneak out and watch the gathering without anyone seeing me than I should be fine. Though I wouldn't be able to meet any cats and that wouldn't be fun at all! Stupid fox._

"Spottedpaw."

Spottedpaw looked up, harsh words at the tip of her tongue but she bit them back, seeing Stripepaw. The older tom was gazing at her in concern. "Are you alright?"

"I told Weedpaw I was fine!" She snapped, returning to her grooming, her brooding interrupted.

"No, you're not." Stripepaw meowed calmly. He padded over and sat down close beside her. "What's wrong? It's not about the gathering is it?"

Spottedpaw flinched and fell silent, gazing at her paws.

"Weedpaw will tell you about it. She said so herself," Stripepaw meowed. He nudged her gently. "Besides I wasn't chosen either and I'm not angry. I know its your first gathering but it's better to be healthy than get sicker by leaving the camp."

"Leave me be," Spottedpaw growled. She turned away, ignoring Stripepaw's hurt look. "If it wasn't for the stupid fox, I'll be going to the gathering! It's not fair!"

"Life isn't fair!" Stripepaw retorted. "Besides if you can't accept the fact that you're injured, then perhaps you shouldn't have been chosen!" Before Spottedpaw could respond, Stripepaw got to his paws and padded out of the den.

Spottedpaw watched him go, jaws agape. She didn't mean to come off like that. She let out a sigh and flattened her ears in sadness as she realized she might have lost her only friend.

Spottedpaw didn't know how long she was in the den, when she heard fur swishing. She looked up to see her mother pad inside, looking worried. "Silverwater? What are you doing here?"

"I came to check up on you," Silverwater responded. She padded over and sat down beside Spottedpaw, curling her tail around her. "I was concerned when Stripepaw stormed out of here. He was just trying to talk to you."

"I know," Spottedpaw mumbled.

"He said you snapped at him." Silverwater meowed, gazing at her. "Are you alright?"

"No," Spottedpaw hunched her shoulders. "I can't go to the gathering due to the stupid fox and now I snapped at Stripepaw. I'm afraid I hurt him, and that he wouldn't want to be my friend anymore."

Silverwater touched her nose briefly to her daughter's ear. "You'll be able to go to the next gathering and as for Stripepaw, why don't you apologize to him? I'm sure he'll forgive you."

Spottedpaw shook her head stubbornly. "He won't forgive me. Besides I snapped at him over something stupid."

"That's true but it doesn't hurt to try." Silverwater pointed out calmly. She rose to her paws. "Think about it," she urged. "You have the rest of the day and part of the night to do so." The silver tabby then left the den, leaving Spottedpaw alone to her thoughts.


	8. Chapter 7: Gathering Night part 2

Spottedpaw sat in the clearing, her tail curled neatly around her paws and slightly flicking as she watched the gathering party leave. It seemed like her father had taken every cat in the clan except for her, the kits, the queens and the elders. Well not everybody but it sure felt that way. After a while, the spotted she-cat got to her paws and headed into the apprentices' den. She made her way to her nest and curled up, her back facing the entrance. She placed her head on her paws and stared into the darkest reaches of the den.

 _I wish I could've gotten to go to the gathering. I don't want to be stuck here like a troublesome kit. Yet...I feel bad that I snapped at Stripepaw. Would he even accept my apology? And what about that strange feeling I felt when I faced that fox? Is that normal? Will I be alright? And that dream…it was so strange. Did the fox cause bees to enter my brain that caused my dream? It was so weird. As far as I know, flames don't act like that…._

"Spottedpaw?"

Spottedpaw curled up, tucking her muzzle underneath her tail as her ears flattened slightly. _Oh, Starclan not now! I can't deal with Stripepaw now. I'm sure he's going to yell at me or tear out my whiskers or rip off my ears or…_

"Spottedpaw, I know you're awake." Stripepaw meowed, his soft pawsteps coming closer to her nest. "I saw you move."

Spottedpaw didn't respond, instead she curled up tighter. _Go away. Go away. Go away. Leave me be, please._

"Spottedpaw, don't ignore me." Stripepaw meowed, placing a paw on her shoulder. "We need to talk."

"About what?" Spottedpaw meowed, trying to be friendly but her mew came out a bit cold.

"About earlier," Stripepaw responded. He sounded uncertain. "I sorry that I got mad at you. Though you weren't in the best mood yourself, you know."

Spottedpaw let out a sigh and uncurled herself as she sat up. She met her friend's gaze. "Well, I'm sorry for being such a grouchy badger."

Stripepaw let out a small laugh. "You aren't a badger!"

"I acted like one though," Spottedpaw pointed out.

Stripepaw rolled his eyes. "Stop being hard on yourself. I forgive you, ok."

Spottedpaw's eyes widened. "You what now?"

Stripepaw let out a laugh. "I forgive you. You didn't have to compare yourself to a badger in order to get my forgiveness."

Spottedpaw let out a sigh. "Thanks, Stripepaw. That…that makes me feel better."

"No problem," Stripepaw responded. He shot her a grin and headed for his nest. "Let's get some sleep then. I doubt that the gathering party will be back anytime soon, and I want to be well rested for training tomorrow."

Spottedpaw nodded and curled up, falling asleep in her nest even though she knew that she wouldn't have training the next day or for a while at least.

* * *

 **Sorry for the short chapter but I couldn't think of what else to write when a cat is stuck at camp. Besides there's not much Spottedpaw could do anyway with an infection and it was a cute scene. There might be a longer chapter next time with more detail.**


	9. Chapter 8: Mousebile

Spottedpaw scrunched up her nose as she pressed stinky moss against Watermoon's shoulder. Her tail flicked slightly, and her ears were flat as she dabbed it against a stubborn tick. She winced slightly as she moved too fast and caused her freshly healed scratches to ache. She let out a small sigh and sat back as the now dead tick fell off the dark grey elder's shoulder. She had begged to train earlier this morning but Runningbrook, who is quickly becoming her least favorite cat, had said that she had at least two more days until she could train again. When she protested, Runningbrook, with the agreement of Eaglewing, said that she should check the elders for ticks if she was so bored.

Well, Spottedpaw was regretting talking back to the medicine cat now.

"Anymore I have to take off?" Spottedpaw asked Watermoon, glancing at Silverreed who still needed to be checked for ticks.

Watermoon shook her head. "No, Spottedpaw. Thanks for helping me though."

"No problem," Spottedpaw grunted slightly as she took the mousebile over to Silverreed.

The silver tabby tom shifted slightly and glanced at his back. "There might be a few there, I reckon."

Spottedpaw sat down and began to search through his fur, looking for the parasites.

"Do you think there will be a battle?" Watermoon asked as she glanced at her denmate.

Silverreed shook his head. "WindClan may be aggressive to ThunderClan at the moment but I'm sure Heartstar will be careful when she attacks. After all, Silverstar is leading a pretty strong Clan at the moment."

Spottedpaw pricked her ears, curious to hear about what they had thought about the news from the Gathering. Her siblings had told her that is was exciting and scary at the same time and it made Spottedpaw wish even more that the fox didn't severely injure her.

"WindClan has done rash things before," Watermoon pointed out. "It has happened often enough in their histories."

Silverreed let out a snort. "It won't happen again. Heartstar is a wise leader and leads her Clan with a strict paw. I'm sure she would've left the accusation alone if she thought it was false."

"WindClan isn't always a Clan of honor and Heartstar herself has done strange things in her life before."

"Not enough to be denied leadership of her Clan, though."

Spottedpaw flattened her ears slightly as she listened to the elders' banter. It was no longer interesting as they argued about Heartstar's leadership skills. Spottedpaw honestly didn't care as she dabbed the moss on the ticks. She closed her eyes briefly and shook herself, immediately opening them again. She had been plagued by dreams lately and they were all the same.

She was always running away from a fire.

She never outran it or reached the stream at the end of the path.

The fire was hot and scorching but it never harmed her.

Though recently, it had changed. Now as she ran, she was buffeted by wind pushing against her and yet helping her at the same time. It was like it came from all sides. It seemed to help the fire and make it brighter, fiercer, higher, hotter and faster. Yet, the roaring fire never hurt her. The wind always died down before the fire reached her. After each dream, Spottedpaw would wake up with the scent of smoke in her nostrils and the taste of singed fur in her mouth as she gave herself reassuring licks.

"Thanks, Spottedpaw," Silverreed grunted as she finished.

Spottedpaw simply nodded as she got to her paws and carried the mousebile out of the den. She headed over to the medicine den and dropped the mousebile off with Runningbrook. She then made her way to the side of the den and stuck her paws in the stream, letting the stream rinse off the foul stench and hopefully the taste. As she headed back to the apprentices' den, her ears pricked slightly, and she glanced at the entrance. She smiled and turned, trotting over to greet the returning patrol with a flick of her tail.

Silverwater trotted past her, acknowledging her daughter with a small nod of her head. Spottedpaw grinned, seeing that her mother was carrying some trout in her jaws which was her favorite! She turned and took a step back, seeing her father's stormy look as he padded past with only a minnow to offer to the Clan.

Spottedpaw stifled a laugh and bounced over to Weedpaw who was trailing in behind Tigerfang. "What happened?" she asked with a slight tilt of her head.

"Carpstar missed a few too many fish in a sad attempt to impress his mate," Tigerfang growled around his catch. "Now he's upset that Silverwater scolded him and called him a kit."

Spottedpaw let out a laugh. "That would sure set him off!"

Weedpaw immediately slapped her tail across her sister's muzzle. "Don't let him hear you laugh!" She warned, shooting a glance at their father.

Spottedpaw immediately quieted and nodded slightly. "So, how was training?"

"Good!" Weedpaw meowed, brightening. "I didn't catch anything, but I managed to miss a few by a whisker which is better than last time!"

"That's great!" Spottedpaw purred, padding alongside her sister as they headed for the apprentices' den.

"I know right!" Weedpaw responded good-naturedly. "So how were camp duties?"

"Long and boring as usual," Spottedpaw responded. "I had to take ticks off the elders because I talked back to Runningbrook."

Weedpaw shook her head, whiskers twitching. "I take it that Eaglewing agreed?"

"Yep," Spottedpaw responded, sitting down. "Though I can't wait to train again!"

Weedpaw smiled slightly as she sat down beside her sister. She curled her tail around her paws. "Even though Eaglewing will be running you around the territory?"

Spottedpaw blinked and tilted her head, her posture unconsciously straightening. "He is going to do _what_ now?"

"Run you around the territory," Weedpaw responded simply. "I overheard him talking about it to Tigerfang yesterday as we patrolled the WindClan border."

Spottedpaw winced slightly at the thought of the strain it would put her under and she grumbled slightly under her breath. Her tail flicked slightly, and she cast a glare over at the warriors' den, not even sure if her mentor was in the camp or not. "What a fox-heart."

Weedpaw let out a small laugh. "You did miss half a moon of training," she pointed out. "So, it makes sense that he wants to train you hard in order to catch up to the rest of us."

Spottedpaw snorted and lifted her muzzle slightly. "It's still not fair!"

Weedpaw just sighed and got to her paws. "I got to change the elders' bedding, so you go ahead and be upset all you want."

Spottedpaw just huffed and watched as her dark grey sister padded away, her tail flicking. _I shouldn't need to train so hard! I'm_ _fine_ _and I'm feeling a lot better! I don't need to run around the whole territory in order to be a good warrior. I'm fine just the way I am!_


	10. Chapter 9: Training and Secrets pt 1

Spottedpaw was running from the flames again. She panted heavily and forced herself to move faster, pausing to cough every so often as the smoke filled her lungs. Her lungs burned as she tried to make her way to the stream. She could feel the flames roaring closer with every pawstep but when she looked over her shoulder, the flames weren't there. Spottedpaw skidded to a halt and turned around fully. There were no flames and then suddenly, she was lifted off the ground.

Spottedpaw let out a surprised yowl and kicked, trying to get back down on the ground. The wind buffeted her fur and lifted her high up into the sky and Spottedpaw had no choice but to look down.

She let out a gasp.

Flames were destroying everything underneath her. Trees were as orange as the sunset and even from her distance, Spottedpaw could feel the intense heat.

"Get up!"

Spottedpaw blinked and looked around, wondering where the voice was coming from. The wind suddenly stopped, and she began to fall down, at an alarming rate, towards the flames. Spottedpaw closed her eyes and braced herself for the pain that will surely come as she awaited her pending death.

Spottedpaw jerked awake as a paw jabbed her harshly in the ribs, causing her to let out a pained gasp. She blinked her eyes and gazed sleepily up at Eaglewing as he raised a paw to prod her gain. She sat up and hung her head slightly, still tasting the smoke in her mouth and she thought that her chest rattled with each breath. It was if she was struggling to breathe. Hiding her discomfort, Spottedpaw dipped her head and lapped at her fur, trying not to wrinkle her nose at the taste of singed fur.

Though her fur wasn't singed, and her mentor didn't notice.

Eaglewing flicked his tail and let out a low meow as not to wake up the other apprentices. "Runningbrook cleared you to train today. Now, meet me in the clearing and we'll start our training." Eaglewing turned and left the den without another word to Spottedpaw.

Spottedpaw blinked and watched him go before getting to her paws. She winced at the soreness in her muscles and paws and wondered where it came from. She looked around, seeing that the majority of the den was still cast in shadow as her fellow denmates slept. A nest rustled beside her as Stripepaw rolled over and curled up close to her nest. Spottedpaw blinked, surprised that he was so close to her nest. She shrugged and stretched, wincing slightly as her joints cracked. She padded out of the den as quietly as she could, avoiding tails and paws.

Pausing at the entrance to the den, Spottedpaw blinked and looked around. The camp was cast in a grey light and she couldn't see very far. Though she could spot Eaglewing's green eyes as the brown tabby turned to look at her. The white muzzle seemed to glow in the pre-dawn light and Spottedpaw couldn't help but look up at the sky. A few stars were still out but there was no moon and when she turned to face east, she could see a faint glow on the horizon.

Spottedpaw padded slowly over to Eaglewing, pricking her ears and trying to look as alert as possible. "Why are we up so early?" she asked, her mew cracking a bit as she fought back a yawn. "Has the dawn patrol been sent out yet?"

Eaglewing pointed to the camp entrance with his muzzle and Spottedpaw spotted the lithe, grey form of Sharkfang as she sat guard with pricked ears. "No," the brown tabby responded. "If the dawn patrol was sent out, Sharkfang wouldn't be sitting guard now, would she?"

Spottedpaw winced at the tone and glanced at her paws, letting out a murmur of agreement. She stifled a yawn and lifted her head, meeting her mentor's green gaze. "You still haven't answered my question," she meowed with a slight edge to her mew.

Eaglewing let out a low chuckle and flicked his tail, his green eyes flashing. "I'll tell you once we leave the camp." Without another word, Eaglewing trotted over to the camp entrance, pausing long enough to converse quietly with Sharkfang. He glanced at Spottedpaw, who hadn't moved and flicked his tail impatiently. "Come on, Spottedpaw. We have a lot to cover today." Then he disappeared through the camp entrance.

Spottedpaw let out a sigh and padded after him, trying to look alert though her tail drooped, and her head was low as she fought to stay awake. Her mind was still foggy from the dream and she could still scent the smoke in her nostrils. She gave Sharkfang a small nod before slipping out of the camp. She padded through the stream, not minding the splashes she made as she tried to wake herself up. She paused on the trail and shook her head, trying to clear her mind.

The fog refused to clear from her mind and the scent still lingered in her nose. Spottedpaw let out a sigh and closed her eyes, tilting her head up towards the pre-dawn sky. She took in a deep breath and let it out, letting the scents of the territory wash over her tongue. As she stood there, just taking in the peacefulness of the morning, she could feel the fog lifting from her mind.

"Spottedpaw!" Eagleflame's harsh mew startled the young she-cat and she blinked open her eyes to see her mentor standing a whisker-length in front of her. An annoyed expression flashed across his face and his lip was curled slightly in a snarl. "If you are done sleepwalking then we can get started on training."

"Why do we need to be up so early though?" Spottedpaw asked, glancing away from her mentor's fierce gaze.

Eagleflame let out a snort and continued along the trail, his tail flicking slightly. "You are going to run a lap around the territory." He paused and glanced at her, a wry smile appearing on his face. "Of course, I don't expect you get halfway before giving up."

Spottedpaw stared at him with wide eyes and padded over slowly to his side. At his challenge, she let out a snort and cast him a glare. "I can run two laps before getting tired!" she declared, puffing out her chest proudly.

Eagleflame snorted in disbelief. "I doubt it," he drawled.

Spottedpaw pricked her ears and glared at him indignantly. "I can too!" she snapped back. "I bet you two pieces of prey that I can run two full laps around the territory before getting tired."

Eagleflame sat down and swiped a paw through the air. He smiled slightly and jerked his muzzle towards the trail. "Then prove it."

"I will!" Spottedpaw responded with a low growl. Then she took off along the trail, letting her paws thrum the ground. She flattened her ears as the forest flashed past her, her tail streaming out behind her. She was eager to prove herself to her mentor. Eager to prove that she wasn't weak after being stuck in camp due to an infection. Besides an infection couldn't make her that weak, right?

She had just reached the border with WindClan before she began to slow down, her lungs burning with a need for air. She glanced at the border before turning and racing towards ShadowClan, hardly giving herself a chance to rest and breathe. She didn't make it far before black dots began to dance across her vision. Spottedpaw shook her head, trying to dislodge the black dots but they persisted and slowly but surely her vision began to turn black and Spottedpaw stumbled. She didn't catch herself in time and fell to the ground, tumbling a few mouse-lengths before coming to a complete halt. She laid there, unable to get up and unwilling to get up as she turned her gaze towards the sky, breathing heavily.

The sky was a nice rosy pink now and the sun was peeking over the horizon. Spottedpaw closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of damp grass on her pelt and the nice cool breeze that washed over her fur. She didn't know how long she had laid there, listening as the birds began to chirp to announce the morning.

"Well, hello there." A gentle mew made Spottedpaw lift her head slightly. Her eyes widened when she spotted a gray and white mottled, she-cat with amber eyes standing at the border. She was lithe and lean and had a few scars on her pelt. "Why are you just lying there?"

Spottedpaw forced herself to sit up, wondering who this she-cat was and wondering when Eagleflame will decide it was time to find her and collect her. She got to her paws and padded wearily over to the border, stumbling slightly. She parted to jaws to take in the she-cat's scent and realized she was a WindClan warrior. Though what was she doing out here alone? Why wasn't she with her Clanmates.

"I'm still waiting for an answer," the she-cat meowed patiently.

Spottedpaw shook her head to clear away her thoughts and focused on the she-cat. "Eaglewing told me to run a lap and didn't think I'll make it very far before I passed out…."

"I can see he was right," the she-cat meowed with a small chuckle. There was a light smile on her face and she dipped her had slightly to Spottedpaw. "You're his apprentice, right? Spottedpaw?"

Spottedpaw pricked her ears and looked up. "How did you know that?"

The she-cat looked alarmed, as if she had said something she wasn't supposed to say. She glanced down at her paws and shifted slightly as Spottedpaw stared her down.

"Well?" Spottedpaw demanded, her pelt beginning to bristle when the she-cat didn't respond. "How do you know?'

The she-cat took as step back, suddenly looking wary. "I…I…"

"Rosethorn?" Eaglewing's voice made Spottedpaw relax and she twitched an ear as the she-cat let out a sigh of relief. Spottedpaw turned to see Eaglewing racing over without much difficulty. The tom slowed to a halt and gazed at the WindClan warrior. "What are you still doing around?"

Rosethorn took a step towards Eaglewing, a low purr rumbling her throat. "You said you would have a surprise for me." She glanced at Spottedpaw through the narrowed eyes. "Though, I don't like it so far."

Eaglewing let out a small chuckle and took a step closer to the she-cat. He touched noses with her, his gaze softening slightly. "Spottedpaw is a good cat," he reassured Rosethorn. "I'm sure, she wouldn't mind keeping a secret." He cast a pointed glance at Spottedpaw, his tail flicking slightly.

Spottedpaw just stared at the couple with wide eyes. She couldn't believe it! Eaglewing was breaking the code right in front of her and he wanted her to keep this a secret? If he thought for a few fish-tails that she would keep it a secret, he was wrong. "Why should I?" Spottedpaw snarled, her lip curling back to reveal a fang. She may have been stuck in camp for the past moon and a half, but she was ready to fight despite having run such a long distance. "You two are deliberately breaking the code!"

* * *

Riverclan

Leader: Carpstar: A light gray tom with green eyes

Deputy: Blazenose: A brown and white tom with a white blaze down the muzzle. Has brown eyes

Medicine cat: Runningbrook: a golden tabby tom with green eyes

Warriors:

Silverpelt: A silver she-cat with amber eyes Apprentice: Stripepaw

Moonlight: A black tom with white spots and pale green eyes

Leafmoon: tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes Apprentice: Troutpaw

Blackcloud: black and white tom with green eyes Apprentice: Moonpaw

Watersnake: A white tom with spots that look like diamonds and has green-blue eyes Apprentice: Cloudpaw

Tigerfang: A light tabby tom with amber eyes Apprentice: Weedpaw

Eaglewing: A brown tabby tom with green eyes and a white muzzle Apprentice: Spottedpaw

Sharkfang: A gray she-cat with amber eyes

Silverwater: A silver and white she-cat with blue eyes

Troutpelt: A silver-white tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Apprentices:

Stripepaw: A golden brown tabby tom with a striped tail and pale amber eyes (courage of earth)

Weedpaw: a dark gray she-cat with green eyes; a darker gray than Moonpaw (honesty of wind)

Cloudpaw: a silver tabby tom with blue eyes and a white muzzle (endless loyalty of water)

Spottedpaw: a light gray she-cat with white spots and amber eyes (fierceness of fire)

Moonpaw: a dark gray tom with one white paw and amber eyes (endless wisdom of sky)

Queens:

Kits:

Elders:

Watermoon: a dark gray she-cat with flecks of white on her muzzle and ears; has blue eyes

Silverreed: a silver tabby tom with a white-tipped tail and green eyes

* * *

Windclan

Leader: Heartstar: a pure white she-cat with blue eyes

Deputy: Blacksky: A black she-cat with white paws and muzzle. Has amber eyes

Medicine cat: Flameherb: a ginger tom with amber eyes

Warriors:

Foxtail: a ginger tom with a black tipped tail and green eyes

Eagleheart: A mottled brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Waveclaw: a pale gray she-cat with black paws, black tipped tail and silver eyes

Dogfang: Gray tom with golden eyes

Cowpelt: A black and white she-cat with amber eyes

Rosethorn: A gray and white mottled she-cat with amber eyes

Apprentices:

Wormpaw: a pinkish gray she-cat with amber eyes

Finchpaw: A bracken tabby tom with green eyes

Queens:

Kits:

Elders:


	11. Chapter 10: Training and Secrets PT 2

Eaglewing took a step forward, his eyes glinting in the sunlight. "Spottedpaw, you will understand once you're older but…"

"But what?" Spottedpaw snapped, glaring at her mentor, her tail lashing. "You want me to keep quiet about code breaking? That is outrageous!"

Eaglewing glanced at Rosethorn and took a step closer to the WindClan she-cat. The two touched noses before Eaglewing looked back at Spottedpaw, who had a scowl on her face. "Please," he whispered. "I can't bear to stop meeting Rosethorn."

"I can't allow this to happen," Spottedpaw growled. She turned away and turned her nose up. "Especially not when I know that my father will explode when he hears of this." She began to head off towards the camp only to fall to the ground as Eaglewing pounced on her.

Her mentor kept her pinned to the ground and placed his muzzle close to Spottedpaw's ear. "You will tell Carpstar _nothing_ of this, do you understand?"

"What happens if I do," Spottedpaw retorted.

Eaglewing clouted her ear heavily with a sheathed paw. "You don't want to know," he responded before heading back to Rosethorn with a purr. "She'll keep quiet about this, don't worry."

Spottedpaw whirled around and raced over with a loud growl. "No!" she screeched. "This is wrong! Kill me if you must but," she dropped into a crouch with a wry grin. "It won't end well for you."

"Traitor!" Eaglewing growled, whipping around to face his apprentice, curling his lips back to reveal sharp fangs.

"Traitor yourself!" Spottedpaw snapped back.

"I'll go now," Rosethorn responded, looking a bit wary. At Eaglewing's glance she turned and dashed away, her tail streaming out behind her.

Eaglewing turned to Spottedpaw and swiped a paw at her ear. Spottedpaw ducked, letting out a gasp when she felt claws barely touch her ear. She narrowed her eyes and leaped to the side as Eaglewing leaped at her. She dropped to her belly and nipped his hind leg before leaping upwards and racing away. She knew she didn't stand a chance against a seasoned warrior, especially after that fox attack. Her only hope was to run.

 _Camp isn't that far away_ , she thought as she let her paws thrum the ground. She pushed herself faster and faster, unaware of the territory flashing by her. She turned her ears backwards to hear pawsteps steadily thrumming the ground in an even rhythm. The pawsteps were coming steadily closer and Spottedpaw slowed and whirled around, preparing to fight. She dropped into a crouch, snarling and glanced around at her surroundings. There was nothing she could use to her advantage and she turned to face Eaglewing, stifling a pang of dread of facing such an experienced opponent with unsheathed claws.

Before she could defend herself a dark brown tabby blur leapt in front of her with bristling fur and a hiss escaping from its jaws. Eaglewing skidded to a halt, eyes wide as the tom leapt at her mentor and the two cats crashed to the ground, hissing and spitting. Spottedpaw dashed in and broke them apart with a loud growl, her growl faltering when she got shit of the tom. He was a dark brown tabby with bright green eyes. His tail had a white tail tip and he was lean and muscular. There was a small scar on his right ear and a few scars on his muzzle which suggested that he'd been in a few fights.

"Hello," Spottedpaw meowed as she glanced back at her mentor. Eaglewing was sitting, his tail twitching and ears flattened but he made no move. Instead his eyes glinted with something almost similar to amusement. Stifling an irritated snort, Spottedpaw turned back to the tom and tilted her head slightly, realizing that he wasn't much older than she was. "What's your name?"

"Sparrow," the tom responded with a respectful dip of his head. "What's your name, miss?"

Spottedpaw smiled, pleased to be addressed with such respect. She dipped her head in respect. "I'm Spottedpaw," she responded. She flicked her tail in her mentor's direction. "And that insufferable tom over there is my mentor, Eaglewing."

Sparrow took a step back, his eyes widening slightly and his pelt beginning to bush up. "Spottedpaw, Eaglwing," the tom muttered as if he was testing out their names. "You're Clan cats!"

"That's right," Eaglewing growled, getting to his paws and moving forward a few paces to stand beside Spottedpaw. "And you're on our territory."

Sparrow cast him a glare, letting out a low growl. "Make me leave then," he challenged.

As a response, Spottedpaw leaped forward only to realize that the tom had stepped away from her. She whirled around to see that Eaglewing had leapt forward and was meeting the rogue's blows evenly and quickly. She moved forward slowly before leaping and barreling into the tom, causing him to fall to the ground, her tail flicking slightly. Sparrow twisted and landed a blow on her shoulder and Spottedpaw just twitched her whiskers, realizing that the paw was sheathed. Eaglewing seemed to have realized the same thing and just glared down at Sparrow.

"You seem reluctant to fight," Eaglewing sneered with a delighted gleam to his eyes.

Sparrow's eyes flashed but to his credit, the tom didn't flinch. Instead, he met Eaglewing's gaze, seemingly unafraid of the aggressive warrior. "I would like to speak to your leader," he stated in a calm tone.

Spottedpaw narrowed her eyes slightly and flicked her tail. She refrained from attacking, seeing that there was no use in doing so. Yet, she couldn't help but feel that the tom was hiding something. Sparrow seemed almost _eager_ to see their leader and he was way too calm for a rogue. What was going on? She glanced at her mentor, wondering what he thought about Sparrow's request.

Eaglewing's gaze was unreadable as he stepped off the tom, tail flicking. Sparrow got up and shook his pelt free of the dirt and dust that he had collected during the fight before sitting down. The tom looked unruffled even though he sported a few scratches that showed plainly against his dark brown tabby pelt. "Well?" the tom probed gently when the silence stretched on. "Can I see your leader?"

Eaglewing curled his lip slightly but half-turned away from the rogue. His ears flattened slightly before he set off in the direction of the camp. "Might as well," he grumbled as he moved. Sparrow followed Eaglewing, his fur smooth and flat as Spottedpaw took up the rear, glancing around.

"Thank you," Sparrow stated politely. "I really appreciate it."

"Save the smooth talk for Carpstar," Eaglewing snapped. The warrior glanced over his shoulder at the tom, his eyes flashing. "And don't try any funny business on the way back to camp."

To Sparrow's credit, he remained slient as they trekked back towards the camp. Spottedpaw was relieved since she didn't want to prod her mentor anymore than was necessary. After all, Eaglewing was already irked at her for talking back to him and refusing to keep his secret about that WindClan she-cat. _Rosethorn, wasn't it?_ Spottedpaw thought as she padded asbentmindly through the territory, trusting her paws to know where to go.


	12. Chapter 11: A New Mystery

"Carpstar!" Eaglewing yowled as they entered the camp. "We found an intruder."

Spottedpaw slipped over to her fellow apprentices as the whole Clan appeared at Eaglewing's yowl. She moved quickly and silently as she made her way over. She gave a small nod to Weedpaw, Stripepaw, Cloudpaw and Moonpaw.

"Why is there an intruder here?" Cloudpaw asked, his lips curled back into a snarl.

"I don't know," Spottedpaw responded. "He won't tell us, but he seems nice enough."

Weedpaw let out a small huff. Yet her tone was neutral and true, not betraying what she must've felt inside. "Who knows? He might need our help or he's just staying for the night."

Moonpaw nodded in agreement with his sister, his eyes narrowed as he gazed at Sparrow, tail flicking slightly. "He doesn't look like he needs help," he observed. "He looks well-fed and fit. Though there are signs of a recent fight." He twitched an ear and looked at Spottedpaw closely. "Yet you don't have a scratch on you, neither does Eaglewing for that matter."

Spottedpaw gazed at her paws, ears flattening slightly before she responded. "He refused to fight us," she meowed after a few moments. "His claws were sheathed the whole entire time."

"Then why did you bring him back?" Stripepaw asked, sitting down at Spottedpaw's side, gazing at her with concern.

Spottedpaw shrugged and looked away. "He asked to see Carpstar."

The apprentices exchanged shock glances but before they could speculate anymore, Carpstar emerged from his den. He strode forward with big, powerful steps and tail held high in a commanding position. The Clan split to make a path for him as he approached the rogue, his green eyes giving away nothing. It just looked like he was making himself seem authoritarian, like a leader that should be spoken too first. He didn't address Sparrow, just merely glanced at him before turning to Eaglewing. "Why did you bring this rogue here?"

Eaglewing dipped his head in respect, ears flattened slightly. "Spottedpaw and I were out training when we encountered this cat, Sparrow, he calls himself, near the Thunderpath. There was a scuffle, but he didn't fight back with claws. Then he asked to see our leader when we mentioned RiverClan."

Carpstar's eyes narrowed slightly and he turned to Sparrow, regarding him with a slightly more interested look. "Is this true?"

Sparrow dipped his head before responding. "It is, sir."

Carpstar lowered his tail to a more relaxed position and Spottedpaw let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding. "And may I ask, why?"

"Of course, sir." Sparrow responded in the same polite tone. "I belong to a group of loners, one of which is expecting kits."

"Yours?" Carpstar asked with a twitch of his ear.

"No," Sparrow responded. "Mud's kits."

"Why should we help you?"

"Because you are a kind and courteous Clan," Sparrow meowed immediately. "We've been watching the camp for some time now and we believe that your Clan will give the kits the best chance of life."

"Carpstar, you aren't seriously considering this, are you?" Blazenose slipped out of the crowd to stand by Carpstar. His frame was dwarfed by Carpstar's commanding presence even though the two toms were close to the same size. "How do we even know we can trust them?"

Carpstar let out a hum and turned to Sparrow. "As my deputy and I discuss this further with the senior warriors, ask the apprentices to show you around." He turned to his mate and gave her a small nod. "Once we're finished discussing, you are to show him to his nest for the night."

Silverwater gave a small nod as the crowd departed before following Carpstar and Blazenose, along with several other warriors into his den. Eaglewing led Sparrow over to the apprentices before stalking off, leaving the camp soon after. Spottedpaw rolled her eyes, guessing where he was going before looking at Sparrow.

"You already know who I am," she meowed with a small smile. She flicked her tail to Stripepaw. "This is Stripepaw and over there are my siblings: Moonpaw, Cloudpaw and Weedpaw." She flicked her tail at each cat in turn.

"It's nice to meet you," Sparrow responded cordially.

Spottedpaw narrowed her eyes slightly, feeling a slight chill go down her spine. This cat was nice, but was he _too_ nice? What was he hiding?

"Well, let's show you around!" Stripepaw chirped as he got to his paws and bounded over to the nursery. His tail was flicking, and his tabby pelt bristled slightly and Spottedpaw got the feeling that she wasn't the only one who thought that something was off with Sparrow.

* * *

Spottedpaw lazed about in the clearing with her fellow apprentices. They had decided to huddle together, their pelts brushing as they flattened their ears against the cold and howling wind. A storm had decided to brew as they ended the tour with Sparrow. The tom had simply gone off to the den and was being guarded closely by Silverwater. Carpstar still hadn't made a decision and nightfall was fast approaching, the temperature dropping rapidly as the first flakes began to fall. Spottedpaw was huddled between Moonpaw and Stripepaw, the former, making her ears warm slightly, despite not knowing why.

The she-cat narrowed her amber eyes as the dream she had last night began to replay itself in her mind. She still couldn't understand it and suddenly, she felt too warm to need the huddle. She stood abruptly and began to pace, growling softly under her breath as her fellow denmates watched. Spottedpaw stopped and sat down, back straight and ears pricked, amber eyes shining with a strange fire.

"We need to do something," Spottedpaw meowed, glancing at the den that their guest was in. "I don't trust him."

To her surprise, her denmates nodded in agreement, though they stayed silent. Spottedpaw met each of their gazes equally, a firm resolve keeping her from backing down. "I've been…getting dreams recently. Dreams of fire and wind. Sun and water. A bright and clear sky, a shaking earth and a feeling of being safe." She lcosed her eyes briefly as she continued. "I was racing with the flames, at _one_ with them and…I can't help but feel it's a message somehow. I don't understand it, but the flames were protecting me, helping me, not harming me in any way." She fell silent and let her posture drop, staring at her paws.

The silence seemed to last an eternity even though it was only a few moments.

"I've been having dreams like that too," Weedpaw eventually meowed. She looked at her paws and let out a small breath before continuing. "Except, the wind was protecting me, even though I knew it was strong enough to knock me off my paws. Yet…it didn't, it swirled around me as if I was controlling it, as if I was the embodiment of such a powerful force of nature."

"Same here," Cloudpaw meowed. "Except the raging water was carrying me and keeping me afloat even though I had a good chance of drowing." Spottedpaw blinked at him in surprise, Cloudpaw was the best swimmer out of all of them. The fact that the raging water scared him was…well…surprising to say the least.

"The earth never shook when I walked on it," Stripepaw meowed, ears flattened and refusing to meet anyone's gaze. "It was working with me, even though I could see that it was quaking everywhere else, uprooting trees and rocks. Yet…I felt strangely calm and protected."

"I often felt like I was just hovering in space," Moonpaw responded, a bit tentatively. "Yet, I look down and there's a whole forest below me, stretching into the horizon. There were clouds around, yet the sky was clear enough that the clouds never drifted too close. It was as if I was seeing everything from just one vantage point at a time."

"What does it mean?" Spottedpaw asked after glancing around furtively to make sure no one was listening in on their conversation. The clearing was empty as everyone sheltered from the steadily growing snowstorm, which was rapidly envoling into a blizzard.

Silence regined again, the only sound the howling wind as it ruffled the apprentices' fur.

Then Moonpaw spoke up, his amber eyes distant and glassy as his mew managed to obtain a level of respect, awe and…patience? "I think we each embody an element of nature. Spottedpaw is the fierce fire that protects instead of destroys. Weedpaw is the wind, never afraid to speak her thoughts, but always gentle. Cloudpaw is the water, always going with the flow, but never ceasing and never doubting his loyalty to the Clan. Stripepaw is the earth, steady and strong in his pursuits, never giving up and never afraid to rush into danger. I'm the sky, the one with the clear mind and the one who can see the possible in the impossible in strange ways. But…who is the light?"

"I don't know," Spottedpaw responded immediately, a bit unsure herself.

"Perhaps…." Weedpaw began but stopped slightly, eyes narrowed in thought. "Perhaps, the cat is not of this Clan. After all we are all apprentices, so the cat has to be an apprentice that embodies the light."

Moonpaw nodded in agreement, fluffing his fur out against the chill. "We all need to go to the next gathering."

Spottedpaw let out a low murmur in agreement before speaking louder. "When is the next gathering."

"A quarter moon from now," Stripepaw responded immediately. He flicked his tail slightly. "We need to work hard to make sure that we all go."

Cloudpaw opened his jaws as if he was going to respond, when Carpstar's commanding yowl summoned everyone out of their dens. Spottedpaw padded over with her fellow apprentices and sat down, curling her tail around her paws as her ears pricked slightly.

Carpstar looked around at the gathered Clan before turning to Silverwater. "Bring Sparrow out here," he meowed, his tone neutral.

The she-cat nodded and slipped into the den she was guarding. She re-emerged soon after with Sparrow at her side. They made their way to the gathered Clan where Silverwater joined her Clanmates, leaving Sparrow to face the scrutiny of the Clan on his own.

"Yes?" Sparrow meowed, looking up at Carpstar.

"We have decided on your fate," Carpstar meowed with a flick of his tail. "You are to stay with us until the blizzard is over. Then you can go and fetch your friends. Yet all of you will be restricted of activities until you have gained our trust."

Sparrow dipped his head politely, his eyes gleaming. "Than you, Carpstar. We appreciate your generoisity."

"Say nothing of it," the gray tom responded. "Meeting dismissed."


	13. Chapter 12: Newcomers

**Amberwing:** Thank you! Don't worry, Lynxfur will be mention soon ;) and yeah, Eaglewing can be quite the character.

 **Thanks to all those that had reviewed, favorited and or followed this story!**

* * *

Spottedpaw woke with a start, ears pricking as she heard murmuring coming from the clearing. She had gone to her den to shelter from the blizzard with her fellow apprenticeships and figured she must've dozed off. She poked her head out from the den, eyes widening when she saw the camp was covered with snow and was glistening white. There weren't many paw prints littering the clearing yet but a few cats were out and about. Namely Eaglewing, Carpstar, Sparrow and seven unknown cats. One of them seemed a bit wary, yet her belly was heavy with what Spottedpaw guessed was kits. The she-cat was a beautiful light gray and white cat with blue-green eyes and smoky gray stripes. Beside her was a scarred, long-haired, brown tom with yellow eyes and a lighter brown muzzle, chest, and paws. The tom seemed a bit protective of the she-cat and wasn't leaving her side.

Sparrow, in particular, was speaking quietly to Carpstar, while Spotttedpaw's mentor moved among the newcomers, a suspicious look on his face. Blazenose was sitting not far from the newcomers, his gaze unreadable. Spottedpaw wondered what the deputy was thinking before sliding out of the clearing to get a better view of the new cats.

There was a black she-cat with dark amber eyes and tufted ears. Beside her was a young ginger tabby tom with green eyes and a long tail. Spottedpaw gazed at him curiously, wondering why he had a few scars on his muzzle and ears. A few feet away with a bright and friendly expression on his face was a tortoiseshell tom with leafy green eyes and a scar on his shoulder. Spottedpaw eyed the jagged scar, wondering how he had received it. It didn't seem like a thing that a cat will cause.

A spiky furred brown tabby tom with amber eyes and teeth poking out from his muzzle was pacing around a gray tortoiseshell she-cat with pale green eyes who seemed to bear a striking resemblance to the tortoiseshell tom and to Sparrow. Spottedpaw tilted her head slightly. Where they siblings? Then she looked at Sparrow and saw he was younger than the two tortoiseshells and seemed to be closely related to the spiky brown tabby.

"Spottedpaw!" Eaglewing called, making Spottedpaw jump slightly.

"Yes?" Spottedpaw asked, trotting over to her mentor, not minding the crunch of the freshly fallen snow under her paws. She knew she should be quieter, but she wasn't hunting or moving to participate in a battle. So why worry about stealth?

"Take this queen to the nursery," Eaglewing ordered, motioning to the pregnant she-cat with his tail. He turned to face her and tilted his head slightly. "Err…what is your name?"

The long-haired brown tom turned to face them. "Her name is Whisper," he responded a bit coldly. "She's mute and she's not going anywhere without me!"

Spottedpaw blinked at the tom's harshness and glanced at her mentor who had immediately stepped in front of her, blocking her from the tom's view. "And who are you?" Eaglewing stated in the same cold tone.

The long-haired brown tom regarded him coldly before dipping his head slightly. "Mud."

Spottedpaw slipped from behind her mentor and padded over to Whisper. "Hello," she meowed, doing her best to sound friendly. "I'm Spottedpaw, an apprentice of RiverClan."

Whisper turned her head to look at her, her green gaze seeming to be conveying something. Her ears were pricked, and a small smile was present on her muzzle. For some reason, Spottedpaw guessed that she was trying to say hi.

Spottedpaw turned away and flicked her tail to beckon Whisper to follow her. "I'll show you the nursery," she meowed.

There was no response but Spottedpaw continued on her path to the nursery anyway. Stopping in front of the den, she nodded to Whisper. "Me or one of the other apprentices will get you some fresh bedding soon," she promised, stepping aside from the entrance of the den.

Whisper stood there, gazing at her uncertainly.

"Go on," Spottedpaw meowed with a small gesture towards the nursery. "It's safe, I promise. It's where all of our kits are raised, even me!"

Whisper turned her green eyes onto Spottedpaw, seeming to look her over. Spottedpaw stood still and met the she-cat's gaze, aware of her scars from the fox. After what seemed like moons, but only lasted mere moments, Whisper turned and slipped into the nursery.

Spottedpaw bounded back over to her mentor who was directing the other cats on where to go. Basically, the majority of the cats were going to join Sparrow, who was sitting by his den with pricked ears now. "Eaglewing?" Spottedpaw asked as she approached the warrior. "Anything else I need to do?"

Eaglewing glanced at her, his gaze darkening slightly before nodding to the ginger tabby. "Take Blaze here to the apprentices' den."

"And the others?"

Eaglewing let out a snort. "Sparrow suggested that Pounce, Patch, Fuzzy and Tawny would join him at his den."

"Who are they?" Spottedpaw asked with a slight tilt of her head.

"Pounce is the black she-cat," Eaglewing responded with a slight growl in his tone. "Patch is a tortoiseshell tom while Fuzzy has spiky fur and Tawny is the tortoiseshell she-cat."

Spottedpaw nodded and turned to the ginger tabby tom, Blaze, and flicked her tail slightly. "Follow me," she meowed before turning away. "I'll show you where us apprentices sleep." She made her way over to the apprentices' den where her fellow denmates were beginning to emerge.

Stripepaw was the first to notice the newcomer. "Who is _that_?" He asked with a slight hiss. "He smells like a rogue!"

"I am a rogue," Blaze spoke up calmly. He had the same calm tone and relaxed disposition as Sparrow, but his gaze was sharper and more focused. A small, yet amused, a smile appeared on his face as he gave each apprentice a small nod. "I am Blaze because my fur tends to blaze in the sun and is more stunning than the snow that covers this very ground."

Spottedpaw rolled her eyes. _Great, a cat who thinks he's great at everything. Such an arrogant furball._

"And why should we trust you?" It was Moonpaw who spoke up, lifting a paw and cleaning his ears. His eyes gleamed with something that Spottedpaw couldn't place but judging by his slightly bristled fur and the slight flick of his tail, Moonpaw wasn't happy.

Blaze let out a snort and raised his muzzle slightly. "I'm the best hunter in the group," he meowed proudly. "And the best fighter as well. Why shouldn't you trust me?"

Weedpaw bounded over and stared hard at Blaze before taking a step back and letting out a laugh. "How can you be a good fighter and a good hunter? Normally cats are one or the other." Weedpaw sat down and glanced at her paws briefly before shooting Blaze a sly glance. "Besides, you only have a few scars and it seems like you're just as old as us."

"So, you can't be that good at hunting or fighting yet," Cloudpaw concluded as he slipped out from the den. "Besides, that brightly colored pelt of yours is no help in this snow."

Stripepaw curled his lip slightly. "I bet you can't even swim."

Blaze looked a bit baffled and Spottedpaw stepped in between Blaze and her denmates, arching her back slightly. "Blaze is our guest!" she snapped out. "And as a guest, he must be treated as such." She straightened up and forced her fur to lie flat. "Besides, Carpstar allowed this. Remember?"

Moonpaw let out a sniff. "Father has bees in his brain."

"Hey, birdbrain! He's our leader as well as our father, remember?" Weedpaw retorted, swiping at Moonpaw with a sheathed paw.

Moonpaw ducked and got to his paws, dropping into a crouch, eyes narrowing. "Oh yeah? Do you want to see who's the greater birdbrain, fishbreath?"

"Apprentices these days," an exasperated voice caused all apprentices to freeze. Though Blaze's eyes widened slightly with fear as they looked up at Tigerfang.

The light tabby tom was gazing disdainfully down at them, his tail flicking. "No manners," the tom added as he gave his apprentice a stern stare that was soon switched to Moonpaw. "RiverClan cats behave better than this."

Moonpaw and Weedpaw straightened up, bowing their heads slightly. "Sorry Tigerfang," they meowed in unison.

Tigerfang gave them a small nod. "Better," he meowed before looking at all of them. He gave Blaze a small nod. "Hello newcomer, I'm sure you will find the apprentices' den to your liking." Turning his gaze back to Weedpaw, he flicked his tail and began to pad away. "Come, Moonpaw. It's time to learn a few techniques about snow hunting."

Moonpaw nodded eagerly and glanced at them before bounding away. "I guess I will see you guys later! Bye!"

"Moonpaw! Border patrol!" Blazenose called from where he was standing with Silverwater, Blackcloud, and Moonlight.

Moonpaw got to his paws. "Sorry, duty calls!" He bounded over to the waiting patrol before disappearing through the entrance.

"Are they always like that?" Blaze asked as the two apprentices left.

Spottedpaw exchanged a glance with Stripepaw and Cloudpaw before shrugging her shoulders slightly. "Only sometimes," she responded. "It's just sibling nature."

"Siblings," Blaze murmured before looking up and tilting his head slightly. "Are all of you siblings?"

"Spottedpaw, Moonpaw, and Weedpaw are my siblings," Cloudpaw offered with an unreadable expression. "Stripepaw is about five moons older."

Blaze blinked, a confused expression crossing his features. "Who are they?"

"Moonpaw and Weedpaw were the two that were arguing," Spottedpaw responded. "I'm Spottedpaw and Cloudpaw is the silver tabby. Stripepaw has the striped tail."

"Ooh," Blaze remarked. "That makes sense."

Cloudpaw nodded slightly before nodding to the apprentices' den. "Feel free to get some rest while the rest of us get our chores done."

Blaze nodded slightly, his jaws splitting apart in a yawn. "I will," he meowed before slipping inside the den.

Once Blaze had disappeared, Cloudpaw turned to Spottedpaw with a curious expression. "Why is he sleeping here with us?"

"Eaglewing said to show him the apprentices' den and that he will be under our care while in there," Spottedpaw responded with a small shrug.

Stripepaw let out a growl. "I don't like it at all."

"Why not?" Cloudpaw asked with a tilt of his head.

"It's weird and that silver tongue of his is too similar to Sparrow's." Stripepaw scratched at the snow, leaving long marks in the white surface. "Plus, he thinks he's so great! It's as if we aren't training to become warriors that will deal with rogues like him!"

"Perhaps he isn't a threat?" Cloudpaw suggested with a glance at Spottedpaw.

Stripepaw shot him a glare. "If he wasn't a threat, he would be a part of our Clan already! Yet, he's not and Carpstar had to be _persuaded_ to let them come here! Don't tell me that you're falling for his tricks!" With a huff, Stripepaw got to his paws and marched away, the snow crunching loudly under his paws.

Spottedpaw watched him go, her head tilted slightly as she wondered what was going on with Stripepaw. After all, he seemed a bit on edge. Perhaps it was due to the snowfall? That pelt of his certainly stood out against the snow like Blaze's did.

"Hey Spottedpaw, do you know what you're going to do now that the blizzard's over?" Cloudpaw asked her with a tilt of his head.

"I'm not sure," Spottedpaw responded with a shrug. "I might just check up on the elders and see if they need anything."

"Sounds good!" Cloudpaw responded before padding away, speaking over his shoulder. "Watersnake was going to teach me some battle moves today. I'm wondering if we're still doing it!"

"Bye!" Spottedpaw called after him before making her way over to the elders' den. After all, she liked speaking to the elders and listening to their stories. It made taking off their ticks and fleas and cleaning out their nests much easier to bear. _Especially_ if the elders decide to tell a really good story about one of the Clan's higher-ups like Carpstar or Runningbrook.

Reaching the elders' den, Spottedpaw slipped inside with pricked ears. "Anyone have anything that I need to do?"

Waterreed and Silvermoon looked up from where they were curled up next to each other in order to keep warm. Waterreed shook her head slightly. "Not much, young one. Only prey is needed."

"Ok!" Spottedpaw responded turning and dashing out of the den and over to the fresh-kill pile. She nosed through it, looking for a good-sized fish before pulling out a trout. Then she made her way back over to the elders' den and laid it in front of the two elders. "Is that all?"

Silvermoon nodded and smiled slightly. "It is, Spottedpaw. Now go and enjoy yourself or ask Blazenose if he has anything for you."

"Or you can just go and practice your hunting skills," Waterreed added as she took a bite of the trout. "It's leafbare and the Clan could use all the prey that it could get."

"Plus, it might guarantee you a spot in the Gathering party," Silvermoon added.

Spottedpaw's eyes widened at the prospect and meowed a quick thanks to the elders before whirling around and racing outside. She would catch as much prey as she could each day until she was put onto a Gathering party. After all, she had yet to attend her first gathering.

* * *

Riverclan

Leader: Carpstar: A light gray tom with green eyes

Deputy: Blazenose: A brown and white tom with a white blaze down the muzzle. Has brown eyes

Medicine cat: Runningbrook: a golden tabby tom with green eyes

Warriors:

Silverpelt: A silver she-cat with amber eyes Apprentice: Stripepaw

Moonlight: A black tom with white spots and pale green eyes

Leafmoon: tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

Blackcloud: black and white tom with green eyes Apprentice: Moonpaw

Watersnake: A white tom with spots that look like diamonds and has green-blue eyes Apprentice: Cloudpaw

Tigerfang: A light tabby tom with amber eyes Apprentice: Weedpaw

Eaglewing: A brown tabby tom with green eyes and a white muzzle Apprentice: Spottedpaw

Sharkfang: A gray she-cat with amber eyes

Silverwater: A silver and white she-cat with blue eyes

Troutpelt: A silver-white tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Apprentices:

Stripepaw: A golden brown tabby tom with a striped tail and pale amber eyes (courage of earth)

Weedpaw: a dark gray she-cat with green eyes; a darker gray than Moonpaw (honesty of wind)

Cloudpaw: a silver tabby tom with blue eyes and a white muzzle (endless loyalty of water)

Spottedpaw: a light gray she-cat with white spots and amber eyes (fierceness of fire)

Moonpaw: a dark gray tom with one white paw and amber eyes (endless wisdom of sky)

Queens:

Kits:

Elders:

Watermoon: a dark gray she-cat with flecks of white on her muzzle and ears; has blue eyes

Silverreed: a silver tabby tom with a white-tipped tail and green eyes

Visitors:

Pounce: Black she-cat with dark amber eyes and tufted ears

Mud: Long haired, brown tom with yellow eyes and a lighter brown muzzle, chest, and paws

Whisper: Mute, light gray and white she-cat with blue-green eyes and smoky gray stripes. Expecting Mud's kits.

Blaze: Young, ginger tabby tom with green eyes and a long tail

Patch: tortoiseshell tom with leafy green eyes and a scar on his shoulder

Fuzzy: Spiky-furred, brown tabby tom with amber eyes and long teeth

Tawny: Gray tortoiseshell she-cat with pale green eyes

Sparrow: Dark brown tabby tom with a white tail tip


End file.
